Gray Areas
by Makkura Arashi
Summary: "My sex life is my own and none of your business." Naruto was pleased at the grimace that tugged at those perfect lips; he had Sasuke's complete attention. "Unless, you want it to be…" Naruto kissed him. SasuNaruSasu, YAOI, Warnings and summary inside
1. Eyes

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. They all belong to Masashi Kishimoto; though I do wish he could lend them to me indefinitely. **

**Summary: Uchiha Sasuke is forced to take his foster brother in after a suicide attempt. Naruto wants to destroy him. Will Sasuke give in to Naruto's lustful advances and mind games? Or will the Uchiha bring him back to the light? SasuNaruSasu, YAOI, Sort of Dark.  
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**Warnings: Graphic description of suicide attempt. (More to come in later chapters)  
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**A/N: OK. Here is a new story that I have been working on in the last three years. It's going to be a bit of a rollercoaster ride, it's also going to be dark – very different from my usual stories. This is yaoi, please do not land on this page if you're against it. **

**Now read on and enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1:<strong> Eyes

The rain pattered against the windows, tapping on it softly forming a neat rhythm in the background. An apt rhythm for this particular office; the office of the best architect in the famous city of Konoha…the equally famous Uchiha Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke was well known, not just for his beautiful buildings, but also for a number of other reasons. He was the genius of the Uchiha family, surpassing even his older brother Itachi, graduating with an architecture degree at the age of eighteen and branching off to start his own very successful company right after. He was also on the news for walking out on his family after a disagreement when he was fifteen. He had also been voted the Heartthrob of Fire Country and had won the Fire Country Architect's Award last year at the age of twenty one.

Yes Uchiha Sasuke was many things. He was also a bastard. No, not because of some great tragedy that had occurred in the past, though his parents _had_ passed away three years after he'd left and he'd had a slightly rough childhood from having to face up to big expectations. But no, Sasuke was a bastard because he believed he was too good for _anyone_. His ego was larger than the northern hemisphere and though he could be quite charming, he only turned it on for people he respected. Those people were few.

This particular overcast and rainy evening, Uchiha Sasuke was sitting at his desk, one leg unceremoniously slung over the right arm of his chair and the other engaged in letting him swivel a little, to either side as he talked on his phone. As he shut it, a smug little smirk decorated his handsome face. Another project and this time a whole shit load of money coming with it. If things continued this way, then he could buy out Itachi and that seemed like fun.

Thinking of Itachi, he glanced over at the picture hanging on the wall. A family portrait…he almost sneered; his father had loved getting stuff like this done. This had been the sixth one, taken because of the gaki his parent's had taken in. Sure enough in the picture, amidst all the smiling, dignified black haired Uchihas was one small blond and ultra-cheerful gaki, who went by the name of Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto.

Sasuke's intercom buzzed, his secretary was informing him that she would be leaving now. He looked at his watch…it was almost seven; the building would most probably be empty save for the few who were working late on some silly project or the other. Sasuke helped himself to a bottle of water, moving to sit more fully in his chair, with both his feet on the ground. He wondered whether he should leave right away…but the thought of going home wasn't very alluring. He'd be bored to death, he'd even finished the numerous books he'd bought and usually he stayed out clubbing or drinking, but he wasn't in the mood for either today.

A basic Nokia ring tone cut through the air, alerting him to the fact that his phone was ringing. He brushed back his bangs and reached for it, pausing to look at who was calling.

_Uchiha Itachi _

The name blinked a few times before he deigned to pick it up. Picking it up too quickly would seem like he was eager to talk to his brother, which he really wasn't. Pressing the gold answer button, he put it to his ear.

"Aniki…"

"Sasuke…" his brother's voice, usually calm and controlled sounded stressed, like the man on the other end was close to panicking.

"Hn?"

"I need you to come to Katsura hospital right away." Itachi breathed in. "Its Naruto…"

Sasuke's face acquired a look of concern, though he remained in a relaxed position. He wasn't the type to panic right away, but a niggling worm of worry began wriggling inside him. "Why? What happened?"

"_Sasuke…_" Itachi sounded exasperated, and Sasuke had no doubt that had Itachi been there he would have hit him. Then his brother said in a defeated voice. "I'll fill you in when you get here, I don't want to talk on the phone. Could you please come as fast as possible?"

"Fine. I'm leaving now; I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Sasuke shut off his phone and detached his jacket from where it hung, covering the back of his chair. Sometimes, Uchiha could be sloppy; he had the right to in his own office at least. He poked the button for the elevator harder than necessary and scowled as he watched the numbers flash until it reached his floor. _What the heck had happened to make Itachi sound like that?_

He stepped out as the doors slid open and walked up to his BMW Z3. He slid in and started the car, still deep in thought. Actually come to think of it, he hadn't thought of Naruto in a long time. Ever since he'd left, he'd been really focused on what he'd wanted rather than think of his family. But before he'd left, well they had been close for about two years until he'd turned thirteen and had been sent to eleventh grade. His workload had increased and he'd stopped spending time with the gaki. He frowned when he realised that he'd only seen Naruto at the Christmas dinners that he'd been forced to attend with the family…first by his mother and after she died, by Itachi.

Sasuke brushed the tiny tendrils of guilt away. He didn't need to feel guilty…after all; his goal back then had been to make his mark in the world and leave home. One of the reasons why he'd worked so hard to become an architect…his father had not been pleased with his decision to have nothing to do with their family business. He stopped at a traffic light and waited a tad impatiently for the gold signal to come on. He just wanted to get this over and done with, so he could go home (he suddenly felt like it, now that he was needed elsewhere) and have a hot shower and get out of this rain.

Sasuke hated rain with a passion. After almost hitting the car in front of him in his impatience and lack of concentration, he decided his thoughts about his foster brother could wait.

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><p>Itachi let his head fall back against the wall as he sat in the empty waiting room of Katsura hospital. His head ached almost like a road roller had run over it multiple times. He let his eyes close, but opened them again as horrible images came back to haunt him. He sat back up, straight and rigid, willing himself to forget. He glanced at the clock mounted up on the pale cream wall opposite him. Sasuke was late…<p>

_How the heck had this happened?_ Itachi thought back to the time, when Naruto had first been taken into his home. The blond had been the child of his father's best friend Namikaze Minato and his wife Uzumaki Kushina. So he had known Naruto since he was a baby. After Minato and Kushina had passed away due to an epidemic in Grass Country while on business (Minato was an Ambassador), his parents had assumed guardianship of the small six year old.

Naruto had taken a month or so to get over the fact that his parents weren't coming back and had, being as young as he was, adapted to the Uchihas. He was cuddled and spoiled by both the adults and he'd gotten along well with Sasuke and Itachi. But then things with Sasuke had changed and the boy left suddenly. After days of asking after him, and crying for him, Naruto had gotten over that too, though he remained a tad gloomy. After his parents had passed away four years ago, he'd taken custody of Naruto…who had been completely devastated. The boy had really closed up then, though he seemed cheery on the outside, Itachi had known that he was really broken about it. But a few months later, Itachi thought things had been working…_how the hell had it gotten to this?_

He wished that the stupid question would stop beating around in his head and leave him in peace. Finally unable to sit, he took to pacing in circles on the small grey rug in the middle of the room. The pacing calmed him down to some extent, though he hoped that it would exhaust him enough to become numb.

Contrary to what people believed, Itachi was the more open of the two brothers. It was not that Sasuke was _emotionless_; he just didn't seem to care unless something cataclysmic had happened.

The sound of fast-paced footsteps caught his attention and held it. He looked up and out the glass windows of the waiting room until the sound manifested itself in the form of his younger brother. Sasuke looked like his normal self except for the slight crease that showed his concern.

"What happened?"

"Come sit down." Itachi caught his brother's arm and led him to one of the chairs. Itachi took a deep breath once they'd settled down. "Naruto attempted to commit suicide."

Sasuke felt himself go a little cold. _Suicide? What would prompt the gaki to take such extreme measures?_ "Why? What exactly happened?"

Itachi seemed to shudder. Sasuke had never seen his brother like this before, so, that along with the fact that his foster brother had tried to kill himself, peaked his concern. But not to a large dramatic ocean of shock or anything. Sometimes Sasuke was too practical for his own good. He watched his brother like a hawk before moving his hand onto the older man's shoulder.

Itachi took another deep breath. "Well I had just got home from work when the cook came running up to me, frantic. She said that Naruto had just gone into the kitchen a few minutes ago, shoved her out and locked himself in there. I wondered what he was up to, so I walked to the kitchen and…" Itachi stopped, taking a few more deep breaths, his mouth tightening, the corners turning down. "H-he was sitting on the floor; I could see him through the glass doors, a big knife in his hand. He looked really calm Sasuke, it was like he didn't even notice me and then he just slit his wrists with these neat quick slashes, like he knew exactly how deep it needed to go for him to die…"

Sasuke frowned and his hand on Itachi's shoulder tightened. Itachi just continued, the haunted look in his eyes growing. "There was blood shooting out all over the place…the cook dialled for the ambulance, while I broke down the door. I tied his wrists up with a ripped dishcloth and tried stopping the bleeding until the paramedics got there…but there was so much blood…"

"He didn't care, Sasuke! He just didn't, he was quiet the entire time, by the time I broke the door down he was already unconscious…but…but when I looked into his eyes before he lost consciousness…through the door…I saw this gleam…he looked _satisfied_ Sasuke…"

Itachi covered his face in his hands and let Sasuke rub his shoulder in a somewhat soothing manner. Sasuke scuffed his shoe clad foot on the carpet, as he thought through the things he'd heard. After a few minutes had passed and a nice indent was left in the carpet, he turned to Itachi. "Do you have any idea why he would do it?"

Itachi shook his head. "No. We…I don't have time…well the whole of this year I haven't had time to figure out what's been going on. His teachers called me a few times about his grades slipping, but I haven't been able to pay attention, we're going through a few really tough deals which I have to close if I want the company still running…" A look of utter guilt, etched itself onto his tired face.

"Aniki, it isn't your fault…"

"I should have paid attention, Sasuke…I should have at least tried to talk to him…"

"Itachi!"

They both looked up to see a red haired woman standing there in a tight deep red evening dress and a small red hand bag dangling from her fingers. Her gold eyes were filled with concern and she looked like she'd run a race, her gown all crumpled and hair all dishevelled. "How is he? What happened?" Her heels clicked on the floor as she made her way up to them.

Sasuke let go of his brother, so that Kyuubi could grab him in a hug. Sasuke knew that she could handle it better than he could anyway. She did. In a few minutes she had Itachi looking calmer and she'd also convinced him to go get himself a cup of coffee, while she and Sasuke waited at the room.

The woman slipped out of her shoes and tucked her legs beneath her. Then she pulled her hair into a sloppy bun at the back of her head, before resting both arms on the rests on either side of the chair. "This is awful…"

Sasuke looked at her, raising an eyebrow. She growled at him a bit. "Sasuke, aren't you feeling the least bit worried?"

"Of course I am, Kyuubi…" Sasuke glanced at the clock on the wall. "I just don't want to stress myself out by panicking or guilt tripping myself."

Kyuubi shook her head. "Itachi and I were supposed to be at some party tonight…the thought freaks me out. Did you know he was supposed to come straight there? He wasn't going to stop off at home…thankfully he'd left some papers behind and had gone to collect them so he could read them in the car…if he hadn't then Naruto…then Naruto would have…" she stopped biting her lips.

Sasuke sighed. "Look, he'll be fine. Stop stressing out over it all right? There's nothing you can do short of shoving the doctor out of the way and caring for him by yourself…" his voice remained natural and normal. He didn't like emotions and this time he was making a small allowance, for his brother's girlfriend who wasn't so bad.

"Well I hope so…I'm still wondering exactly what went so bad that he thought he'd have to go this far. Itachi's really shaken up about this…I mean he has no one else left…" she stopped a bit, suddenly looking a bit guilty. "I mean…well you left and you've made it quite clear that you don't want to have anything to do with us anymore…Naruto's all he has left. I bet he's blaming himself for this…its going to cause problems with the courts now…"

Sasuke breathed deeply and fidgeted just a little. "What do you mean problems?" He wondered what problems anyone could cause _Itachi_.

"Well he took custody of Naruto…and well Naruto is still a minor. Tachi was supposed to be playing the parental role here, but instead he hasn't been able to do so fully…so if this goes to court…they will know about it of course, we had to call the police…so they might…well they might…"

"They will mostly take him away from me." Itachi stood at the doorway, staring down at the carpet. "A foster home probably…no question of emancipation, after this stunt he's pulled. I haven't been to any of his school meetings, I haven't been able to see that he's studying okay, I don't even _know_ any of his friends…"

Itachi walked forward to collapse onto a chair again and stared at the far wall in agitation. "I've been an awful parent and role model. I knew he was withdrawing from me, but I dismissed it as teenage sullenness. I had to make a choice, the company or Naruto…I chose the company so I could give him a good life….the _irony_…" Itachi's face twisted into a bitter grimace.

Sasuke looked at him fully then. "Choose? Why? The company should be able to run itself…"

Itachi laughed at that, a sudden harsh noise, which definitely shouldn't have come from a calm man like him. "Sasuke! Do you still think our business is secure? Your plans of buying us out might not materialise because if I don't do something we might be bought out before you can raise enough money to do so! Father messed up a few major accounts with some very important clients…I lost all of them in the beginning. Now stocks seem to be falling and one of my employees was caught for embezzlement. Things are going really badly. I haven't a moment to spare."

Now Sasuke was shocked. The one thing he had been sure of after he'd left home was about this. He always believed that his family business would haunt him through out his life and stand there mocking him…and now it was crumbling even before he could be the one who was making it crumble. "Why haven't you said anything? Why haven't you asked me for help?"

Now it was Itachi's turn to raise a tired eyebrow. "Sasuke…you've been visiting us once a year, staying for about three hours at the maximum and then communicating by phone about thrice a year. You hated the company and have wanted to buy us out since you were thirteen years old. You act like it's a burden to even come near us! You might have a big ego, but I am an Uchiha too…I will not beg _you_ for help!"

Swords of guilt stuck themselves into Uchiha Sasuke's heart…he made a mean comeback to cover the fact up. "Well I wish you had, because maybe then you wouldn't have had to be in this mess…I would have helped out if you _had_ begged…"

"_Sasuke!_" Kyuubi glared at him and reached out to rub Itachi's shoulder. "You have no right to be saying that! You just left your family and let Itachi take on all the responsibility for Naruto…you didn't even bother to wish the kid on his birthday and now you stalk in here and think you can cast judgement over everyone else! Leave your brother alone…if this is the way you behave, I'm proud that he thought not to ask you for help!"

The younger man just turned away to look at the doorway for the next half hour. He wished the doctor would hurry up and come to them. He suddenly felt tired. Somehow being with Itachi always made him feel inadequate which was what had made him beat Itachi in _everything_, but it still wasn't enough…and that made him more irritable and mean. He felt his eyes droop; he'd had a long night the day before and now the exhaustion was catching up to him. But at least he'd gotten the project done….

Kyuubi sighed. "Asshole over there is asleep." She reached out to stroke Itachi's cheek. "Why don't _you_ catch a few winks too? I promise I'll wake you the moment we get any news."

Itachi shook his head. "I'm too worried. God, I hope he's ok, Kyuu. What are we going to do? I can't let them move him to a foster home…people will think twice before they adopt a suicidal kid and others might do it for his fortune."

Kyuubi looked over at the sleeping raven and sighed. "I think I have an idea…."

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><p><strong>-Flashback-<strong>

"You are coming with me and that is final!"

"No! I hate coming for those silly parties you have! I don't want to meet _any_ of those children, they're all so stupid! I have art class tomorrow…I don't want to miss it!"

"Sasuke, I will carry you into the car if I have to! I promised Mr. Kamikawa that I would bring you along to keep his son company…You can forget about your art class for one day….you'll be taking over part of the company with Itachi, so you'd better start learning about it!" Fugaku glared at his son. He hated it when Sasuke threw these tantrums. Why the boy wouldn't just learn to accept that he'd be running the company was something Fugaku never understood.

"I'm only eleven years old! I don't even know if I _want_ to run the company…."

"Enough! I expect you down at six tomorrow morning" Fugaku strode out of his office leaving an extremely angry Sasuke behind.

The boy found his feet a few minutes later and stomped his way up to his own room. He flung himself onto his bed and decided that glaring at the far wall was going to help in some fashion. He lay in the dark of his blue room for about half an hour, reluctant to start packing for the stupid two day trip.

Sasuke heard something and suddenly there was a weight on his bed. Something small crawled its way up to him and a picture made of two flesh coloured blobs and what looked like black grass coming out of one of the blobs was thrust into his face. "Sasuke-nii…." Piped up a small voice. "I coloured you!"

Sighing Sasuke sat up and took the sheet of paper. It was a bit distasteful to be painted in the form of two round blobs. "Naru…it's ok. But I can teach you to draw better…"

"Really? I wanna draw just like Sasuke-nii!"

"Really…"

"Tomorrow?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I'm going out with Otou-san tomorrow."

Beautiful blue eyes stare up at him and then suddenly clouded over in concern. "Why is Sasuke-nii sad?"

Sasuke heaved another sigh. "Otou-san wants me to go play with some irritating kid tomorrow…"

Naruto scrunched his nose at that. "What's a ritating kid?"

"Someone not fun to play with…"

The six year old studied him for sometime. "Okay! I think I wanna go talk to Chichi-ue!"

"Naru…wait!"

But the bundle had run off as fast as his legs could carry him, which was unusually speedy. Sasuke marvelled at the fact that Naruto was never frightened of his father. He wondered how the little chibi would fight his case…no matter…he would have to go anyway. He knew his father wouldn't waver on that. Maybe if Naruto was coming it could be more fun…at least the little thing had _sense_…

He could a little voice shouting very loudly about 'rotating boys?' and the very deep and low voice of his father…which meant his father was in his room and Naruto had left the door open. So the whole house would know.

Soon, footsteps echoed and something launched itself at him. Sasuke grunted and shifted to accommodate the little boy who beamed up at him. "Chichi-ue said that I could come to keep you company! He said that if I behaved nicely and didn't throw sand at the 'rotating' boy like I said I would, then he'd be glad to take me!"

Naruto threw his arms around Sasuke's waist and cuddled up. "Aren't you happy now, Sasu-nii?"

Sasuke allowed himself a small smile. "Yeah…I'll teach you to draw tomorrow ok?"

Naruto nodded and then suddenly fell onto Sasuke pillow. "Sleepy…"

Sasuke nodded and covered them both up and cuddled the little blond. "Tomorrow, you should sleep in your own bed ok? Big boys aren't scared of the dark…"

"Sasuke-nii! I'm not scared…only today the cookie monster will eat me…"

Sasuke laughed and…

**-Flashback End-**

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><p>…woke up to Kyuubi shaking his shoulder. "Sasuke, wake up…the doc's here…."<p>

Opening bleary eyes still trying to shake off his memory-dream, Sasuke rubbed his eyes and sat up. The doctor was a man of medium height. He had short black hair and brown eyes. Nothing remarkable about his face, nothing that Sasuke would remember, if at this point in time, he wasn't the man who was about to alleviate the tension in this room. That doctor was the most important person in the world apart from Naruto at the moment.

The three of them crowded around him, anxious expressions on their faces. The doctor looked over the clip board he was carrying one more time. "Namikaze-san is recovering…he lost a lot of blood, but we managed to find enough to keep him going. But what we were shocked to find, were the traces of drugs and alcohol in his blood stream. Not too much, but faint traces…"

"What do you mean drugs?" Itachi asked his voice a little too loud.

The doctor sighed looking like he had been expecting some question of the sort. "Marijuana…We even tested a hair sample…we're sure it's Marijuana…and a lot of alcohol…"

Itachi had turned white, his face taking on a sickly look. Kyuubi grabbed his shoulder to keep him upright, leaning his weight against her a bit. Now Sasuke looked shocked as well. The doctor continued. "I'm sorry but these reports must go to the police. We will be keeping Namikaze-san under observation for one more day and then he will be released into a ward. You may visit him there…one of you may stay each night past the visiting hours…" The doctor nodded and left.

Itachi sank to the floor, sliding off Kyuubi voicing a strangled "Oh god…"

Kyuubi looked at Itachi and then turned to Sasuke. "Our only hope is…you." She saw Sasuke open his mouth and held up a hand. "Shut up and let me explain. You are a successful businessman, you're respected, your company is doing great…you haven't kept in touch with Naruto in a long time till you set up your home and all. You can always plead to the jury that you'll take better care of him…that you'd be a better role model than Itachi, since your company is better off." Kyuubi looked annoyed at having to say that.

Sasuke shook his head. "NO! Are you mad? Do you think I'd like having some gaki run around my house? I left…"

Kyuubi grabbed his shoulders in an iron grip. "You listen to _me_; Sasuke…you fucking left your family behind, walked out on Naruto and haven't bothered to keep in touch. You hurt that kid as much as the death of your parents did…HE'S IN THERE FOR TRYING TO COMMIT SUICIDE! THEY'RE GOING TO SHIP HIM OFF TO SOME UNFAMILIAR FOSTER HOME AND YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT YOUR HOUSE?" A nurse shushed her and she continued in a lower but still fierce voice. "Your brother is almost dying, trying to keep your family company afloat and you're thinking about your _stupid_ lifestyle? You _stupid_, _selfish_ bastard! If you don't take custody of Naruto, I promise I will _hurt_ your precious company….no matter how good you are, I'll make your stupid company _break_ and you know I can! I'll _destroy_ you!" Her large gold eyes glittered with fury, almost making Sasuke take a step back.

Itachi grabbed her hand. "Kyuubi…calm down…if Sasuke won't do it then we'll figure something out…"

She turned to him, rage still making her eyes glow. "Itachi…you know better than that! If you weren't so tired, I'd wonder where you're resolve had gone. No we will not 'figure' anything out and Sasuke **will** take custody."

Sasuke on the other hand felt anger rise up in a wave and stalked from the room so that he could keep his temper. He'd left all this behind…he didn't see why he had to take Naruto…well he did, but still…Itachi was respected everywhere…surely they'd let him keep the boy…Sasuke found himself outside the ICU, at the glass screen through which he could see Naruto. He stopped and went closer. The brat was lying there, tight white bandages wrapped around both wrists and his face pale. Dark circles surrounded his eyes and his body looked thin under the covers. It was that image that shook Sasuke. The IV stuck into Naruto's hand and the stillness of the whole scene. A hand on his shoulder startled him, it was Itachi. His older brother just stared into the room for sometime and then grabbed Sasuke's shoulder and started to steer him back to the waiting room.

Sasuke let himself be led, but his mind was on other things. Itachi looked just about ready to give up, if things were really going the way that Kyuubi claimed they were, then there was no chance of him buying out the family business anyway….since it would be lost…Sasuke sighed…could he really see the gaki sent off elsewhere knowing he had had a chance to make things ok?

When they got back to the waiting room, Kyuubi was curled up in a chair, tear streaks marring her cheeks and her lips turned down while she steadfastly looked at everything but Sasuke. Itachi aimlessly played a game on his cell phone from the moment he sat down…Sasuke was painfully aware that his brother was close to begging him to take Naruto. It was written all over Itachi's face, though the older man tried his best to keep his expression aloof.

Sasuke stood up. "I'm going to get some coffee again…no point in all of us waiting here actually…why don't you guys go home…? Aniki, you need to go into work tomorrow right? I'll take over here…Neji will be able to take over at work tomorrow."

Itachi looked at him for a long moment. Then he stood and nodded. "I just have to stop by at work…I'll be here by noon tomorrow. But if we're allowed to see him…let me know at once." He reached out to clasp Kyuubi's hand and then left with her.

Sasuke sighed and sat back down to wait. In a selfish way, he found the whole damn thing very awkward. When Naruto woke up what was he supposed to say to the gaki? More than saying anything, he felt like punching the boy as a spark of rage welled up. _Suicide…_ Sasuke scoffed. He'd had things bad at home too but he'd found a way to deal with them…he'd left…he wondered what the need was for Naruto to go attempt to kill himself. It was weak…absolutely weak!

Now that he was alone, Sasuke slammed a fist down on the armrest…it didn't look like he'd have a choice…Kyuubi could kill his company if she wanted to and it would be in bad taste to leave Naruto without a home…FINE…he'd do it. He'd take the silly punk into his home… he'd feed him and clothe him, but that was it. He wasn't some motherly person who the brat could come running to. Sasuke glanced at the clock and moved down to pick up some coffee. It was going to be one long night anyway.

* * *

><p>It was almost seven the next night when they allowed the Uchiha's in to see Naruto. The white and blue polka dot hospital gown did nothing to improve the picture. Even against all the white, which should have contrasted with Naruto's bright hair and eyes; the boy looked dull. The boy's face was turned away from them all; he was steadfastly staring out of the window at the rain, not acknowledging anyone.<p>

"Naru!" Kyuubi ran to him, throwing her arms around him and hiccupping with the beginning of sobs. The boy in the bed lay unresponsive, his blue eyes still staring out of the window. "Naruto...why would you? You stupid boy!"

Itachi moved to the bedside, but made no move to say anything. After a while, he just prised the still crying Kyuubi off the boy. He hugged her and then looked down at the boy. He reached out and grabbed one of Naruto's hands, fingers lightly grazing the bandages. "I'm glad you're safe, Otouto. I intend to keep you safer from now on...please don't try anything of this sort again. I'm really sorry…I know I should have taken better care of you, maybe spent more time…I made a mistake." Itachi faltered a bit but controlled himself again. "I see that you want to be left alone. Kyuubi and I will be right outside if you need us."

Itachi left with Kyuubi, leaving Sasuke alone with the blond boy. Sasuke wondered what he was supposed to do or say. He decided his usual approach was okay in a situation like this. "Naruto..."

The boy still didn't look at him or even acknowledge his presence. It irritated Sasuke. He was used to Naruto looking at him...Naruto looking _up_ to him...Naruto wanting to _be_ him. This Naruto...this stupid and idiotic Naruto who had just tried to end his life irked Sasuke. It got under his skin like nothing else could.

"Naruto..." his voice was more forceful this time. _H-he was sitting on the floor; I could see him through the glass doors, a big knife in his hand. He looked really calm Sasuke, and then he just slit his wrists with these neat quick slashes, like he knew exactly how deep it needed to go for him to die…_ Itachi's words rang in his head. His fists clenched. "Don't you fucking ignore me, you little shit!"

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself. In actuality all he wanted to do was shake the boy out of his mindless staring and talk to him. But the boy still didn't react. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Sasuke walked up to the bed and leaned towards Naruto. The boy's face was still turned away from him and Sasuke restrained himself, trying not to reach out and pound some life into the boy. "You have any idea how much this is going to hurt Itachi? He's been bloody trying to keep the company alive just so he can keep you happy and safe...and you bloody go do this to him? Aniki loves you...he's always so goddamn proud of you...you're _everybody's_ fucking baby and you pull this! Why? Did you do it for attention?" Sasuke's voice was low and hoarse with anger and worry all mixed in.

The dig about being 'everyone's baby' came from the left over resentment, from the time he'd wanted to be his father's favourite. "Well now you have the attention, the least you can do is respond! Look at me, Naruto! Don't you dare ignore me after putting me through hell, all right?"

Sasuke finally slipped a bit in his control and reached out to grab Naruto's chin and turn it towards him. Angry black eyes stared into blue...blank blue eyes. _Dead_ blue eyes...it was as if Naruto wasn't in there anymore...the heart monitor was beeping normally and everything was normal...except his eyes. Sasuke let go and staggered back, unable to break eye contact with those eyes. Naruto's head lay where he'd let it fall, eyes just looking up at him. They freaked him out...they made him want to throw up...he tried to reason with himself...they shouldn't affect him this much...but they did.

Trying to keep hold of his dignity and his sanity Sasuke backed away until he was finally out the door. He made it to the closest toilet and locked himself in a cubicle, sitting down hard. There where no one could see him, he bent down and buried his head in his lap...fighting his weakness...fighting the awful feeling of guilt, shame and pain clawing through him.

* * *

><p><strong>-Flashback-<strong>

"Sasu-nii!" Naruto tried to reach up and grab the older boy's hand. "Where are we going?"

"Surprise."

"Please! Tell me!" Naruto's blue eyes were wide with curiosity. "Tell me now!"

Sasuke tried to control his laughter and ignored the constant wringing of his hand by the younger boy. Somehow Naruto made him laugh. Naruto made him _want_ to laugh actually...and not many people made him want to laugh. He was determined to buy the boy a treat for creating his first "un-blobby" drawing.

Finally Naruto resorted to being stubborn. He just hung onto to Sasuke's hand and stopped walking, making the older boy have to drag him for part of the way. Sasuke, much to his annoyance tired of dragging the six year old through the streets and turned to him.

"Okay we're going home."

The blue eyes got even larger if that was possible. "Why?"

"You're being annoying. I wanted to give you a surprise but you're not letting me, so we might as well go home."

Before Sasuke could say another word, the boy's face had crumbled. Those unbearably blue eyes filled with tears, which dripped down the chubby cheeks. Sasuke's demon side quailed at the sight and he heaved a sigh. "Naru-chan...Please don't cry..."

Naruto went on crying, he was so afraid that Sasuke would really take him home now...even though he was mad at Sasuke, he moved forwards and shoved his face into the older boy's waist and bawled even louder.

Sasuke sighed again and this time cuddled the child. "Ok, we're not going home. But I want you to stop asking what it is, alright?"

Naruto stepped back and nodded. Then he looked up at Sasuke his eyes sparkly and happy again. "Carry me...I'm tired..."

Sasuke grumbled under his breath as he hoisted a bundle of blond and blue eyed warmth into his arms. He got a thoroughly wet smack on his cheek for all his pains and they set off again to wherever they were going.

When they finally got there, Naruto saw it was a crepe stall. He squealed with joy and wriggled out of Sasuke's arms and ran to it. The older boy watched, feeling pleased with himself. His mother never allowed them to eat too many sweets and Sasuke knew that Naruto loved sweets. He made his way to where the younger boy was and ordered a chocolate and a strawberry crepe for him. But nothing for himself, Sasuke didn't really enjoy sweets.

Then they went to sit on one of the benches. Sasuke leaned back and gazed up at the sky feeling pleasant. He tried not to think of the fact that school would begin in a few days and he would be under all that pressure to do well again. He looked over at the chibi currently slurping at the crepe before taking a few bites and then going back to slurping. Naruto would be going into his second grade this year...at a new school his parents had found. Sasuke wondered how the boy would fit in.

Actually sometimes Sasuke found himself wondering how Naruto would grow...what he'd grow up to look like. Sasuke smirked a bit...with the Namikaze looks and hopefully Uchiha attitude, Naruto might become quite the lady-killer...like himself. Right now Naruto wanted to be a Truck Driver and drive all around Konoha apparently. Sasuke snorted to himself, wondering if that dream would ever materialize... Naruto being a trucker and Sasuke being an architect...no...he doubted his father would let either of them do that. He had to take over the Uchiha Company while Naruto took over the Namikaze one. Just before Sasuke's mood could sour at the thought something wet dripped onto his chest.

"Wha...?"

He looked down to see Naruto precariously leaning over him, while the chocolate sauce of the crepe dribbled onto his shirt. Those blue eyes were filled with guilt now. "I was just trying to see why you weren't talking to me...Sasu-nii...don't be mad..."

Sasuke stared at the frightened child some more. It made the little blond babble. "I thought you were dead...I was going to give you some of my sweet to make you alive...I thought you were dead because you don't have sweets to give you energy? Hinata-chan in my class says that sweets give you energy..." his sweet baby voice continued.

After a few minutes of passive staring, he burst into laughter, not minding the bits of chocolate still dripping onto him; he caught and tickled the gaki, till Naruto cried for him to stop. Then he threw away the crushed remains of the crepe and picked up the boy. Naruto had at least eaten half the crepe, before its ultimate destruction.

"Let's go home, Naru-chan..."

"You're the best Sasuke-nii!" Naruto threw his arms around his neck and hugged him tight. He even dropped another sticky splotchy kiss onto his foster brother's cheek. "You're my bestest friend!"

**-Flashback End-  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Sasuke's eye opened...but consciousness didn't come for him yet. For a while the beautiful black eyes just gazed at the photo chromatic glass ceiling above him. He watched the clouds go by, the evening star still visible in one corner without the sun's rays to make it disappear. Sasuke's mind slowly caught up to him. Today was the day of judgement. For the last week, about one month after Naruto's 'incident' they had been arguing about whether he could stay with Sasuke. Some psychologists advised that he be put into a 'facility' a softer word to describe an asylum. No matter how much he hated this, Sasuke wasn't going to let Naruto be put into an asylum...because it would ruin the reputation Sasuke had built up...at least that's what he told himself.<p>

The boy had fought too, but much more subdued. He had just stated that it was a mistake and that he wouldn't do it again. That he'd been high when the thought had occurred. Luckily a few psychologists has supported the idea that he live in Sasuke's house. They gathered that the sudden change of environment and being away from familiarity might do more harm than good. Finally today it would all end. Today, the decision would be made. Sasuke had had enough of it all. Enough of seeing Itachi's haggard face and Kyuubi's worried one. Enough of Naruto's meekness and quiet.

Sasuke hauled himself out of bed. He missed having nothing on his mind but his designs and his clients. Now for the past few weeks he'd been dealing with his family and how to get the house ready for Naruto in case he was coming. Sasuke had all ready ordered all the necessary things for one of the bedrooms...at least what he thought a seventeen year old boy would need. Now once he was sure, one phone call would be enough for everything to get done by the time he got home.

He turned the shower to extra hot and thought about what it might be like to have a brat around the house, quite forgetting that he was a pretty big brat himself. But if this whole thing with Naruto continued it would be a very quiet brat...and Sasuke didn't know if that was ok...if it was right that Naruto should be quiet.

When he got there, the court room was all ready quite full. Naruto was sitting up front between Itachi and the solicitor Gekkou Hayate. His eyes were downcast and he had his hands folded in his lap. Sasuke resisted the urge to click his tongue in impatience...he was also mad at himself, he still hadn't been able to look Naruto in the eye after the hospital room row.

Sasuke sat down in the second row behind them and waited. His skin crawled with unease and he wished this stupid thing would just be over and done with! The judge walked in and the rest of the court room fell silent. The room was so quiet, everyone's breathing seemed extra loud like a room full of panting sumo wrestlers. The judge took his seat and shuffled his papers.

Sasuke spied Naruto's fingers clench, his knuckles turning white. He turned his attention to the judge, not wanting to spend any more time watching his foster brother. The judge cleared his throat and began.

"We have gone through all the evidence in this case and read through all the professional's reports. The decision is that Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto will live with his foster brother Uchiha Sasuke for the next four years till the age of twenty one. We have raised the age limit, so that we can make sure this incident never occurs again and so that the Namikaze inheritance will be passed on without any glitches. But he will attend sessions with a psychiatrist and report to him/her at the end of every week. Any sign of a repeat of this unfortunate incident will result in the boy being put into foster care or whatever other arrangement the law sees fit, however long or short the time might be."

Sasuke exhaled hard. Itachi was looking at him with a mixture of relief and sadness. Kyuubi was giving him a warning look. Naruto stared at the ground in front of him. Sasuke made his way to the front of the court room to join Itachi. Kyuubi came running up to grab Itachi's hand and put the other arm around Naruto's shoulder.

"Naruto, I'm so glad…" she squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

Itachi nodded. He looked over at Sasuke, his lips pursed a bit. "Will you both be ok? Will you be able to get him to his therapy on time? I could do that if…"

It irked Sasuke. This was his choice, even though he'd practically been forced into it. Of course he would take good care of Naruto. "You couldn't do it before, so what makes you think you'll be able to do it now?" He watched Itachi breath in sharply and then conceded. "Well I should be, I have more free time now. You don't need to worry about it, Aniki."

Kyuubi nodded. "We'd better not. We'll be watching you, Sasuke."

Sasuke frowned but let it go. He looked at Naruto; the boy had moved away from them and sat down on one of the benches deep in thought. He stayed that way until everyone left. Sasuke walked up to him. "Come one let's go, unless you prefer brooding away in this courtroom for the next few hours?"

They walked to the car, both silent, in their own world. Sasuke wondering how they were going to manage from this point on, and Naruto expressionless, but clenching his hands every now and again. They reached Sasuke's beautiful sports car and the raven got behind the wheel and looked at him.

"Get in"

Their eyes met. The blue ones suddenly lit up...with a searing hatred. It paralysed Sasuke for a few seconds and then suddenly the eyes were dead again and the boy silently got into the car.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There, how do you like it?  
><strong>

**Also, since this plot is a bit difficult, I'd appreciate hearing what you thought of this first chapter. Who you liked or disliked, what you thought of Sasuke, what you thought of the descriptions, etc. **

**Thank you**

**Taka**

**Ages:**

**Sasuke -22**

**Itachi - 27**

**Kyuubi - 26**

**Naruto - 17  
><strong>


	2. Thoughts and Secrets

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. They all belong to Masashi Kishimoto; though I do wish he could lend them to me indefinitely.**

**Warnings: Outbursts, Slightly graphic descriptions of being depressed (based on experience and psych classes)**

**A/N: Ok a few things to say and to answer some of the questions I've been asked here and on AFF: **

**Sorry for **_**demanding**_** reviews last chapter. I was going through a bad period and just got mad that sometimes I put in hard work and no one seems to care...extremely childish of me of course...no needs to care really. So I threw a small tantrum, realised I was being a hypocrite and now beg for your forgiveness! **

**Sorry for being late. Since I updated this story, I have gone to the UK for my graduation, roamed Scotland (with no internet) and come back in time for my birthday, spent my birthday morning in hospital getting vaccines for food poisoning, been sick and now finally finished the chapter. So sorry for the long wait.**

**I have no idea whether this will be a happy ending story or a gloomy story...usually my fics are about mind fucks which can be mended (thanks to psych class and the fact that I don't go into any of the actual neurological disorders.)**

**No one is the villain in the immediate Uchiha family. Here I'm really trying to make everyone human and try and see what caused whom to act like this. I hope this particular chapter makes things better character-wise. This chapter also sets the mood for things that will happen in the rest of the story. But yes I do have a villain who will show up soon enough.**

**About updates: someone commended me on the quality of the first chapter. I worked a whole year randomly on that first chapter. In essence it should take me a few days. So updates will be once a month depending on how difficult I find the chapter. Lol...I spend tons of time just calculating Sasuke's ages at each event because of the numerous skips he's had at school. But I don't want to take too long to update.**

**Thank you bridmatt and FromAfar...you made me **_**think**_** alot...all night in fact, I hope I dealt with what you brought up last chapter adequately in this one! Tell me what you think now please!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 2:<p>

Naruto watched the grey clouds above; he could hear strains of soft instrumental music from the kitchen. The rain drops plopped onto the glass ceiling, bursting into misshapen blobs…it reminded Naruto of his life…once so perfect and now running all over the place. He'd been in this room for the past three hours, just lying there, unable to sleep, unable to turn off his mind. He should have been resting, but he was just too tired to rest. He wanted comfort, but the only people he wanted comfort from weren't here.

He absently fingered the scar on his left wrist and stared pensively at the sky. Sometime in the past when his parents (the Uchiha's) were still alive...he'd always wanted to see Sasuke-nii's new place...places he should say, though Sasuke had been living in this particular place for the past three years. He'd waited for the day that Sasuke would call him and ask him to come over...but that day had never come. Instead Sasuke-nii... Sasuke...had just closed all connections and turned into a stranger. He clamped down on the urge to laugh hysterically at the irony... that he was now supposed to _live_ here... the one place he'd always wondered about with the one man that he now hated. _For four fucking years!_

He rubbed the scars harder, trying not to give into the overwhelming feeling of sadness that gripped him. _Otou-san... Okaa-san... I didn't make it after all...I failed and now I'm stuck with your favourite son... the one who betrayed us...me..._ Naruto shifted onto his back. _I wish I was dead..._

"Naruto... dinner."

Hatred reared up at the sound of that deep voice, slowly taking over every cell of his body. Naruto clenched his fists and screwed his eyes shut. He just wanted to stay here in this stupid bedroom with it's stupid glass ceiling...though he hated that too, everything was sooo _Sasuke_... he cursed himself for failing to kill himself again... for ending up under the same roof with this... _traitor_. He curled up into a ball and just lay there. _Maybe if I just stay here he'll leave me alone..._

A shadow appeared in the doorway. This time it was a command. "Naruto. Dinner."

He stubbornly stayed in bed, running his index finger nail over the pad of his thumb, something he did when he was nervous or angry. If he stood up, he might try to maim the fucking bastard. Unfortunately Sasuke didn't leave. He didn't do anything remotely comforting either; he just stood there and stared. Like a block of ice. Naruto finally gave in...He would do anything to stop the stupid git's stare...but it felt like he'd just lost a battle.

He uncurled himself and then looked at his foster brother. Sasuke hadn't really changed. The man was very good looking, as were all the Uchihas. Flawless pale skin, perfect mouth and those black holes for eyes. But he was cold...just like he'd always been since he'd left them...maybe since before that too. The only time Naruto had ever seen any emotion in the man was back in that hospital ward, but he'd been so doped up then, he didn't even know if that was a dream. He quelled the urge to punch that perfect mouth while swallowing a growl of anger.

"Are you going come to dinner or just sit there stare bloody murder?" The deep voice was callous, Naruto could hear the smirk. His nail cut into his thumb as his hatred grew more desperate.

It was then that Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto decided that he really did hate this man. Maybe one day he would break that emotionless mask apart. One day.

* * *

><p>Sasuke could feel the waves of anger pouring out of Naruto's body as the boy stood. The blond walked past him, fists clenched and steadfastly ignoring him. As Naruto walked ahead, Sasuke took the opportunity to size him up. As he'd thought when he was eleven, Naruto had grown up to be a lady killer. What with the hospitalisation he <em>was<em> a bit thin and pale, but once he got back to normal, he would be...very good looking. A few inches shorter than Sasuke, at seventeen, but he would grow. The blond hair was shaggy, hanging all over his face and his lips firm...stubborn. Different. Gone was the soft and chubby baby boy who had followed Sasuke like his life depended on it, those blue eyes filled with adoration and innocence. Now those blue eyes were deeper and darker, speaking volumes about pain and experience. Sasuke realised, a little ashamed, that he hadn't really looked at the boy since the year before he'd left home...almost seven years ago.

Sasuke hadn't really cooked a lot. The food was simple, tomato soup, garlic bread and mushroom tortellini in béchamel sauce. They sat down at the dinner table... Sasuke didn't bother to serve, Naruto could just serve himself. The gaki had very little soup and took a small helping of the pasta, but didn't really eat much. It annoyed Sasuke. _Everything_ about this brat annoyed Sasuke.

"Do you know how many people are starving out in the world? Finish your food." Sasuke turned back to his plate, spearing a tortellini with more force than necessary…it wasn't like he'd get an answer.

"I fail to see how finishing my food would help starving people…they're not going to get it anyway…"

The reply almost made Sasuke drop his fork. This was the first time Naruto had spoken to him since….well since the incident. It irked him to remember that the last time Naruto had spoken to him was to wish him a merry Christmas last year. The voice, then warm caramel, was now deeper and huskier than he remembered.

"I was beginning to wonder when you'd crack. It would have been a bit difficult catering to your needs, if you'd continued to stay silent all the time."

"I had nothing to say to you." Came the murmured reply.

Sasuke smirked, arrogance touching up his beautiful face. "Well you could have begun by saying 'thank you'. I don't usually let brats make themselves at home here…"

Naruto looked at him, his blue eyes lighting up in a glare. "It's not like I wanted to live here you know…it's not like I asked or I planned to live with _you_ of all people. I'm _not_ grateful. I never will be."

Sasuke frowned at the tone. No one had used that tone with him in years, except for Kyuubi back at the hospital and he'd given her that right when he accepted her as a sister in law. Who did this little shit think he was? Sasuke had generously…well not so generously, still he had agreed to let him _live_ here for four years…it seemed now, like they were going to be four years of _torture_. His lips tightened and he straightened up like he always did when he was angry.

"You're telling me you'd have preferred a foster home?" Sasuke sneered.

Naruto met his look with serious eyes. "I'm telling you I wanted to die."

Sasuke had no idea why he reacted the way he did, but in a flash he was over at Naruto's side, yanking the said blond out of the chair. He leaned over Naruto, his face contorted in anger, his hand fisted in the blond's collar. "Do you _still_ want to die?"

Black eyes bored into the slightly shocked blue ones. Both men panted harshly, feeling like they'd run a mile long race. Finally Naruto looked away; again feeling like Sasuke had won. Sasuke didn't release him but leaned a bit closer. "If I hear you say that one more time or even allude to something like that, Otouto…I will beat the shit out of you. After I finish, I'll let the social services take you away from me, and you can go to the hell that you so badly want to go to…understand?"

When Naruto remained silent, Sasuke by some urge to be dominant and to make his message absolutely clear; shook him again. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

Naruto nodded. Sasuke let him go and turned towards the kitchen, in an attempt to hide the way his hands had started to tremble. Somehow the thought of going through all of that again, the thought of seeing Naruto like that again, scared the shit out of him. Naruto always shattered him, shattered the proud self control, the perfect emotionless exterior…he made Sasuke _feel_. He had done it back then and he still seemed to be able to do it now. Sasuke hated this! It took him about ten minutes but when he'd calmed down, he found Naruto had left the room.

Sasuke sighed and picked the chairs up. Naruto shouldn't matter…so why the fuck was getting so affected by it?

* * *

><p><strong>-Flashback-<strong>

They sat in the study, Sasuke on the computer doing some research for his essay that was due tomorrow and little Naruto in the corner, practicing drawing lines the way his Sasu-nii had taught him. The room was quiet, except for the occasional noise of Sasuke tapping his foot impatiently against the inner wall of the desk...another habit that gave away what he was feeling. This stupid essay was turning out to be difficult. Even though he was eleven, his teachers had just moved him up to eighth grade. He had no problems dealing with the demands of this skip in classes...except for this particular essay. Somehow there seemed to be _nothing_ anywhere on the topic...he wondered if he'd been given this particular topic for that very reason. The teacher in this particular class, Mizuki-sensei hated him. Sasuke smirked, he'd just try really hard and work with what he had and show that bastard what he was made of. Not that his father seemed all that proud anyway, even with all of this, his father still looked at Itachi as the best.

He glanced over at the little blond who was in the corner...he seemed to be working very hard too. Sasuke smiled, it was a joy teaching Naruto how to draw, and the kid worked so hard and made it so satisfying. He grinned when he noticed how dishevelled Naruto looked. His mother would despair. Getting Naruto to look neat was like trying to tame a rampaging wolverine. It was impossible. He'd gotten pencil shavings and marks all over his blue t-shirt and denim shorts; the maid would be so annoyed. Sasuke turned back to his essay, letting it absorb his mind like chocolate cake absorbing fudge. Finally about three hours later, he was done and extremely satisfied with his work. That would show Mizuki that Uchiha Sasuke was a genius and nothing could faze him.

He stretched in the chair, working out all the kinks in his muscles, before sauntering up to Naruto, to peek at what he was doing. Sasuke smiled, the boy had fallen asleep on his practice, papers covered with lines all over. Something caught his eye; frowning Sasuke looked down to see some lines drawn over printed paper...a chilly feeling trickled down his back, as he drew out the page to look at it more clearly.

Lines...thick HB pencil lines crisscrossed over a contract...a contract that he'd heard his father talking about all week. Unbidden memories of the last time this had happened...the time when Sasuke was the culprit himself, came to his mind. His father had screamed at him for disgracing the Uchiha name, _the only thing his five year old mind retained of the scolding_, before taking away all of his favourite things and grounding him to his room for a week. It might not seem like a big a deal, but to his five year old mind, it was the worst week of his life. So it was no wonder when Sasuke lost his temper.

It was the first time the eleven year old had ever lost his temper with the golden haired boy. Sasuke reached out to grab the small shoulder and literally _shook_ the boy awake. Naruto woke up groggy and suddenly scared. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and tried hard to focus on who was manhandling him. When realisation hit, the tiny nose crinkled up and a frown marred the chubby tranquillity that usually graced the little boy.

"S...Sasu-nii?"

"You...how could you? Don't you have any brains? I told you to ask me for paper! You should have told me you finished _baka_!" Sasuke grabbed onto the little boy's collar, his back stiff with tension. His eyes were wild and angry, there was just something inside him that wanted to impress upon Naruto that what he had done was a slight to the Uchiha name. Somewhere at the back of his mind, something told him he was over reacting, but that was pushed aside by five year old Sasuke wanting someone else to feel what he had felt...wanting someone else to also 'not be' worthy of the Uchiha name. "You're a disgrace! You'll never be good enough! _Stupid stupid gaki!_"

Naruto was scared. Sasuke nii-san had never ever yelled at him or been mean to him. Those pretty black eyes that he'd always admired on his brother were wild with anger. Naruto was having a hard time understanding exactly what it was he had done, to put Sasuke in such a rage. He could feel the familiar burning in his eyes, a lump formed in his throat as his shoulder hit the wall, when Sasuke shook him again. He couldn't hold it in anymore, he gave a loud wail of fright and shucked off Sasuke's hands. But his nii-san caught him before he made it out the door. He was roughly turned around and the lines he had drawn were shoved in his face. Naruto began to wail in earnest now, Sasuke-nii was saying really mean things.

"_Look at this! Look at it!_" Sasuke didn't know what he was going to do. His father would blame him...hate him for destroying his papers...one more failure. Fear welled up in his whole body at the thought, he'd been trying too hard to please his father, so _hard_ and stupid Naruto had ruined everything. Desperation, the kind when you know nothing can be done but are desperate anyway, welled up...his body hurt from all the tension in it.

"SASUKE!" a voice boomed and Naruto was pried away from him. "What do you think you're doing?"

Sasuke came back to earth with a thud. Everything came back into focus. He looked at the wailing little boy, Naruto's blue eyes filled with tears and fear. The papers he'd shoved at the child were strewn all over the floor, he realised his hands were clenched at his sides into fists that hurt. Amidst all the chaos was his sixteen year old brother looking at him in a mixture of confusion and anger. Sasuke took a deep breath and sighed, then he took another and another, until all the tension was trickling out him. He dropped to his knees to collect and organise the papers. He used it as an excuse not to look into his brother's eyes. "Naruto drew all over dad's contract...I...I lost my temper."

Understanding dawned in Itachi's dark eyes. He had been there that time six years ago and knew that it had hit Sasuke hard. He dropped to his knees and helped Sasuke get the rest of the sheaf. Then he slung an arm around the boy and squeezed briefly. "Well, leave them on the table and we'll tell Otou-san, when he gets back. Hopefully he won't be all that mad."

"Won't be mad about what?" Their father stood at the door, his eyes lingering on the sniffling Naruto in concern and then looking to his two sons, question written all over his face. "What happened?"

"Naruto seems to have drawn all over your contract, Otou-san. Sasuke was worried, so he reprimanded him a little." Itachi tried to keep the situation light, he had no idea what his father would do if he realised that Sasuke had lost his temper like that.

"Give it to me..." Fugaku scanned the papers and noted with some growing dismay that it was the contract that was to be signed tomorrow. Only the lawyers had another copy. But one look at the tiny sobbing blond bundle, made him melt. He always remembered at the back of his mind that Naruto was _Minato's_ son. He wanted to bring the tiny baby up the way Minato would have, without the Uchiha strictness in all things. He set the papers aside and knelt down.

"Come here, Naru-chan." He hugged the boy and patted his back softly. "Listen. I know you love to draw, but the next time you want paper, ask Sasuke, and he'll give you the correct ones. These were very, very important papers. Do you understand?"

Naruto gave a tremulous nod.

Fugaku smiled. "Well, say you're sorry to Sasuke and to me. Then you may go upstairs."

Standing there, tired from all the anger he'd felt before, watching Naruto sniffle and apologise, the first seeds of resentment were sown in Uchiha Sasuke. _So Naruto messing up contracts is all right...he's not a disgrace to the Uchiha family name._ Anger bubbled up again, but looking into those fearful blue eyes, Sasuke clamped it down. Taking a deep breath he shoved all the resentment away too. This was baby Naruto...the little thing he'd played with since he was five...he shouldn't feel that way about him.

Fugaku watched Sasuke's carefully blank face, knowing the thoughts going on in that head of his. But how was he supposed to explain, that he could be strict with his own sons, but not with Minato's. Although he loved Naruto as another of his own, he could never let himself forget that this was Minato's son, lest Naruto turn out cold and broody like another Uchiha. Minato would curse him from heaven.

Two hours later, Sasuke stood by the blond's door. He hesitated, his hand against the door knob, smoothing it as he wondered what to say. He steeled himself and went in, shutting the door behind him. Then he sat down by the bed and reached out to trail the bruise on the tiny shoulder, visible since Naruto was wearing a sleeveless pyjama top. The blond whimpered.

"Does Sasu-nii hate me?"

Sasuke sighed and slipped his right arm under the blond, gathering him onto his lap. "No, I don't. I'm so sorry, Naruto..." He stroked the soft blond hair. "Does Naruto hate me?"

"No...It's ok, Sasu-nii...I'm sorry I made you mad." Naruto cuddled into the warmth that was Sasuke. He was glad that he was friends with Sasuke-nii again. "I love you the most Sasu-nii."

That got a soft chuckle. "I love you too, Naru. Now go to sleep."

"Can you stay here?" Naruto smiled when the older boy just curled up next to him. Sasuke was the best!

**-Flashback End-**

* * *

><p>It was the scream that woke him. A long, gut wrenching scream that tore him away from sleep's comfort, thrusting him into reality with a painful suddenness. Sasuke ripped off the covers, and sprinted into the room opposite his, letting the door bang against the wall, almost torn off its hinges.<p>

Naruto lay on the bed, his blond head cradled by one creased pillow, the other fallen beside the bed next to the tangle of bed clothes. Naruto still had one foot caught in that tangle. His blue eyes were wide open, his breathing deep, but at the same time ragged; his fingers clenching and unclenching like they often did nowadays. Slowly Naruto turned to look at Sasuke, his eyes saturated with fear from whatever it was that he had seen in his nightmare. For moment they got impossibly wider, before softening. "Sasu-nii…" Naruto's voice came out in a whisper.

Sasuke watched him, fighting the sudden need to wrap his arms around the boy. But he couldn't. It was like a barrier surrounded the boy, somehow Sasuke couldn't break it, couldn't go back to being the comforting presence he had been before. Suddenly, the blue eyes hardened as they came fully back to wakefulness.

"You…" The word seeped anger.

Sasuke straightened. He took a deep breath. He was supposed to comfort Naruto and be there for him. He was not allowed to keep getting irrationally angry at the boy. "Nightmare. You want to talk about it?"

"No."

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "Look, would you like something to help you sleep? Like a glass of milk or something?" He was trying to be nice. He hoped Naruto would get it and stop being a brat.

Naruto's lips dragged to a side in short, unpleasant smirk. "I don't _want_ anything from you."

Sasuke turned around, his canine firmly digging into lip like it did when he was desperately trying to control his anger. He stepped out into the corridor and then deliberately closed the door behind him. He walked quietly to his own room and shut that door too, before he gave in and slammed a fist into the ground. His life had been amazing, perfect and easy before his suicidal blond past invaded it. He had cut off from Naruto because the kid had made him weak; now here he was losing control over his emotions all over again. This time, for a different reason. This time it wasn't any kind of love, but a deep gnawing anger about the fact that the brat had even tried to die.

He took a deep breath and moved his body fluidly into the first pose for his martial arts routine. It always calmed him and the bubbling anger he was feeling, promised him a sleepless night, if he didn't find a way to tame it. Damn Naruto.

* * *

><p>Itachi stirred the sauce clockwise precisely four times; it seemed at the perfect thickness. He dipped a spoon into it, letting it finely coat the spoon before bringing it up to his lips, his tongue flicking out to taste it. Hmm...It was just right. He turned to his audience who were watching him with very different expressions. Kyuubi looked amused, she always did when he cooked, saying he followed recipes like they were potions from Harry Potter's classes. Naruto had a tiny humorous glint in his eyes, the first expression he'd shown Itachi in days. Sasuke was giving him a look that plainly stated what he thought of Itachi's mental state.<p>

"It's done." Itachi gave them all a pleasant curvy eyed smile.

Sasuke shook his head, moving to pick up the dish of mashed potatoes and the platter of sausages. "You're demented."

Itachi sighed. "I prefer to cook precisely by the recipe Sasuke..."

Sasuke placed the dishes on the table and allowed himself a hearty poke in Itachi's ribs, almost causing the man to drop his precious sauce. "Which explains why some of your cooking comes out so horribly."

Kyuubi grinned, her amusement increasing. "It also explains why either the cook or I will be doing the cooking when we get married."

Itachi gave them both a sad and hurt look. "Tsk tsk ...go ahead, make fun of me! Naruto!" he turned to the blond whose face had acquired a pleasant expression. "Naru, tell them how much you loved my cooking!"

Naruto smiled a tiny smile. He couldn't begrudge Itachi-nii any emotion. The man was one of his most important people. Contrary to what people thought, Itachi had been extremely attentive for three years before finally hoping things were okay with Naruto. "Itachi-nii does cook well...most times."

Itachi sighed dramatically. They all sat down around the table. Itachi and Kyuubi had dropped in at Sasuke's for dinner and to check up on Naruto. Itachi had offered to cook bangers and mash, one of Naruto's favourite "foreign" dishes. As always everyone had stayed to watch the older man murmur to himself and potter around while stiffly putting the dish together. Itachi seemed like a mad scientist when he deigned to cook.

Dinner went by with no problems. Kyuubi, when she wasn't under pressure was a really fun person to hang with. Sasuke had to grudgingly admit that he'd always gotten along with her until the night at the hospital. Laughter filled the house, albeit short and muted; it was still laughter and none of them had laughed for the past month and a half. Kyuubi left right after dinner following a phone call from her father. It left the three brothers to hang out for another hour or two before Itachi had to leave as well.

Naruto excused himself to the toilet, leaving the two Uchihas alone in the living room. Itachi cleared his throat, his hands tensing before he spoke. "Sasuke, I just really wanted to thank you."

Sasuke looked at his brother, surprise and a touch of hurt colouring his expression. "I care about him too, you know. You don't have to thank me for taking him in. I confess I was reluctant...but you should have known I wouldn't have let them take him away from us..."

Itachi shook his head. "That's not why I thanked you. I wish you'd let me finish before you start off on a rant or start taking offense. I was actually thinking of that time in the hospital...Kyuubi was very harsh. She said a lot of things about you; I want you to know that I don't share those opinions." He turned to Sasuke and slung an arm around him like in the old times. "I just wanted to say thank you for not losing your temper with her.

"I also wanted to apologize for what I said. About why I didn't come to you for help. The truth is, you left and I completely understand why you left. I didn't want to get you mired in the shit we're facing. It would hurt your own interests at this point. You left because you didn't want anything to do with our company and I respect that Sasuke."

Sasuke looked at his hands for a few minutes. He had that warm, comforted feeling that he always got around Itachi or his mother. It was like being covered in that patchwork quilt his mother had made for him when he was little to scare away the nightmares; it made him feel protected. He wondered for a minute how he could have believed that Itachi might have felt what Kyuubi had said, but then again Kyuubi was right in some ways and it was just that Itachi was too nice a person to feel that. He half smiled at his brother. "Aniki, thank you."

Naruto's arrival broke the atmosphere up and both men turned to see what they could do to cheer the younger one up. While Itachi succeeded, Sasuke failed. The younger Uchiha watched the whole scene, once again feeling inadequate and hating the fact that Itachi so easily did now what he had been able to do once long ago.

* * *

><p>Sasuke had been working from home since Naruto had arrived. He'd been called into work by Neji, who had insisted that he couldn't handle this particular meeting on his own. The clients had also stipulated that they wanted to discuss their contract with both partners present. So Sasuke had had no choice but to lock up every sharp and potentially dangerous thing, which had taken him two hours, before locking Naruto in and leaving.<p>

Naruto wandered down into the living room and really looked around. It was like he hadn't really looked at his surroundings in the week since he got here. Sasuke's apartment was really like Sasuke; spacious and sparsely decorated but elegant and tasteful all at the same time. Black metal and birch furnishings graced the room, a few well thumbed books, a few pretty plants, a comfortable sofa set and a few cushy armchairs. The living room joined an open kitchen and dining area. Naruto snooped around a little and found all the drawers in the kitchen locked, much to his distaste.

He threw himself into one of the armchairs and curled up, scrunching himself into it. The rainy season in Konoha was in full swing, dark clouds roiling in the sky reminding Naruto of the emotions tumbling within him in this stupid house with its stupid owner. He rubbed the deep mustard coloured fabric that covered the arms of the chair, to sooth himself. Naruto knew he was fucked in the head. He had been ever since that accident when his parents had passed away. The darkness he felt since then sometimes drowned him, the dark clawing arms of grief and pain embracing him, consuming all the light he could have ever possessed. Sometimes he just felt the need to give in, to let it have him and close his eyes but never wake up. He rubbed feverishly at the light scars on his wrists; it was why he had decided to die. He wanted to just give in and see what the worst that could happen was. It beat waking up to the same tunnel of dark every single day.

Itachi and Kyuubi had really tried. Naruto sighed tiredly. It wasn't like everyone thought it was. Itachi _had_ made enough time for him. So had Kyuubi. Itachi had taken weeks off from work, just to be there, to make Naruto smile and make him feel loved. Kyuubi had been over all the time too, filling in for the times Itachi had to leave, taking him out, calling his friends over, cooking him wholesome meals. It made Naruto sad to think that it had gone on for three whole years. He could see that Itachi was looking worn out, working from home all the time, while still being someone Naruto could go to when he needed anything. He and Kyuubi had put their own lives on hold to make sure Naruto was okay. They weren't the reason that Naruto was the way he was.

Naruto was like this, because unlike Itachi and Kyuubi, only he knew the whole truth of that accident. Only_ he_ knew that he wasn't worthy of anything that the other two gave him. He wasn't worthy of any of that love. So one day, when he came from school to see Itachi passed out over his desk, he had looked over the papers Itachi was working on. Naruto had felt like he'd been punched in the gut when he saw the losses the company was going through. He was sixteen, he wasn't stupid. He'd been groomed to take over his father's business when he grew up. Naruto knew that if Itachi didn't buck up and start managing his company, then the Uchiha family business would fail and be bought out. He made up his mind. He would fool both Kyuubi and Itachi in to believing he was getting better. That way Itachi could concentrate on work and go to the business parties he'd been ignoring which offended the business partners and start actually taking over the company and building it up.

So the next year, he got back to smiling, being his charming self at home, all the while having his secret, that dreadful acid secret gnawing away at him. Though he couldn't keep up his grades and he was losing contact with his friends, he was really persuasive in convincing Itachi that he was okay and that he would up his grades soon. It was only in the month before last that things had gotten so hard to bear. He knew that things had gotten bad for Itachi at work, so bad that Kyuubi had written out twenty checks from her personal trust fund, to keep the Uchiha company and family afloat. Naruto had gotten sick of fighting. He had felt like a man dangling from a cliff at a rough seaside, whose arms had finally given way. He knew what he was doing would hurt Itachi; he knew his older brother would be torn apart with grief, but he also knew that Kyuubi was practical enough to keep him going. The Uchiha's would be rid of the Namikaze curse that rode them once and for all.

The drugs, well he'd started doing them a week before he'd tried dying. He had used them to make things easier. When he was high, nothing had hurt. When Itachi had burst in on him, he'd been satisfied that his older brother was the last thing he'd see. Naruto scratched at the scars as though trying to soothe the itch of guilt in his soul. Now he'd lost even Itachi and was stuck here with Sasuke.

Sasuke. Sasuke was the reason for everything. Sasuke had hurt _everyone_ just to get back at Uchiha Fugaku though he had had a great relationship with _everyone else. _ The _traitor_ was the reason that any of this had happened. Naruto choked a little as he felt his eyes fill up. He choked back the sobs and refused to let the tears fall. All the sadness inside him built up slowly, reinforcing the hate he'd felt for the man. No. No. It wasn't Sasuke who was to blame...it was _himself_...right? Naruto bit his lip. But Sasuke was the catalyst. Stupid, righteous Sasuke, who thought he was the best thing that had happened to the race of man.

Naruto threw himself out of that chair. He hit the ground hard and then rubbed at his head. The therapy sessions just made him clam up. What he needed was to forget. He needed something else to grab his attention. Naruto thought for a moment and then let a small malicious smile slip onto his face. _Sasuke_.

Naruto was smart. The way he was now, he knew that only something he felt strongly for could keep his attention away from his secrets for most part. The last four years he'd _hated_ Sasuke. Ever since he'd found out, he'd hated Sasuke. Now here he was, living with the bane of his existence. Sasuke didn't think of him as a threat. Sasuke just thought of him as a foster brother who'd gone a little nuts...nothing that therapy wouldn't cure. Sasuke was not aware of the extent of his hatred.

Naruto decided he wanted to live. He was going to live and bring Sasuke down. He'd raze everything the man had to the ground, just like Sasuke, selfish selfish Sasuke had destroyed everything Naruto had. All he had to do was find a few chinks in the ice prince's armour. A tiny small part of Naruto wailed at the thoughts surfacing in the blonds' mind, he was trying to hurt his Sasu-nii. It tried to reason with the darkness now greedily taking over and Naruto squished that part mercilessly. He wanted revenge for everything and Sasuke would taste it and feel the same anguish he had.

* * *

><p>A soft melody filled the room, the peaceful tune draping itself about the house like a soft velvet tapestry of calm. The lithe brunet male watched Sasuke, as the architect leaned over the drafting board studying the sketches on it with the ultimate focus. The man sighed and fidgeted where he was sprawled on an armchair in the Uchiha's study; he wanted some attention and he wanted it now. He had after all, come all the way here to try and make Sasuke agree to give them one more shot. His hand smoothed back the messy mop of brown hair, rubbing it in a slightly nervous gesture before he opened his mouth.<p>

"Sasuke..."

"No Kiba."

The confidence Kiba seemed to have gathered in his burst of hair rubbing seemed to flee. Sasuke's tone brooked no arguments. Kiba frowned and kicked at the floor a little. He had travelled fifty minutes to get here and had been subjected to all sorts of tortures; a silent and morbid foster brother, dinner with preoccupied and anxious Sasuke and the said foster brother, crazy tense atmosphere due to said foster brother and last of all this utter refusal for Sasuke to date him again.

Then again, Kiba huffed, he shouldn't have been surprised. He and Sasuke had dated since they were fourteen in an on and off manner. They had known each other since Sasuke was ten. So he knew Naruto a little bit, though he was a little shocked to see what had become of the little tyke who used to follow them about when Kiba had dropped in to visit. He and Sasuke had dated for a year and then broken it off when Sasuke went to college, then gotten back together for a bit when they were nineteen and then broken up again, until Sasuke had really ended things a year later when they were twenty. Even now, two years later Kiba continued to hope. Actually this was a last ditch attempt to get Sasuke to agree, if not Kiba had made up his mind that he would move on. No matter how difficult.

It seemed like the time had come.

The brunet sighed and stretched, still watching Sasuke fake his ultimate focus. Kiba had been watching him all evening. He had seen the little twitches Sasuke made in the direction of his foster brother's room and how the Uchiha had once in a while strained to hear any sounds coming from that direction. He smiled to himself, when he'd seen Sasuke take way to many bathroom breaks as an excuse to check on the boy. But then again, that was Sasuke for you. Cold hearted bastard when it came down to everyone but Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto.

Sasuke had always been a sucker for that kid, well until that sudden change of heart. A sudden seed of guilt tore hungrily at Kiba, when he thought of the last time he'd seen Naruto. He shook off that memory. Instead, he thought of the times Sasuke had run off to make sure Naruto was okay, even once in the middle of school.

* * *

><p><strong>-Flashback-<strong>

It was a cloudy autumn day; red dead leaves flew lazily across the playground to join their fellows in the huge piles gathered all over. Kiba and a few other friends sat under a birch tree, their bento's open, sharing food, gossip and homework. Sasuke was staring at the big building next to theirs, a little puzzled. It was the primary school. Even though they had lunch an hour after the kids, Naruto usually had recess and would come up to see Sasuke as well as get coddled by all their female friends. No one really minded. Sasuke himself was two years younger than their class anyway.

Kiba liked the little tyke. He was starting to discover that his feelings for Sasuke were turning into a crush just recently. He had also realised that if he and Sasuke ever went out, the little tyke would be around a lot too since their school had grades all the way from one to twelve on the same grounds, just in different buildings. Sometimes he wished the Uchihas had just sent Naruto to the new school they were going to send him to instead of Sasuke's.

It was halfway through the lunch period and Naruto was still nowhere in sight. Kiba glanced over at Sasuke; a tiny crease between his eyebrows marred his usually expressionless face. Kiba swore that Naruto was the only person Sasuke cared for. Well, to that extent at least. Kiba had only seen Sasuke smile when Naruto was around, he didn't smile so much even for Itachi.

Suddenly there was the sound of feet and a small boy came towards them at a run. He was short and brown pony tailed with a pair of lazy eyes. Kiba knew that this kid was the laziest of Naruto's class, but right now he looked utterly frightened. He ran straight up to Sasuke.

"Sasuke-san! Sasuke-san!" the little boy was panting so hard; he could barely get words out. He composed himself quickly enough. "It's Naruto!"

At that Sasuke grabbed the little kid's shoulders, suddenly very alert. Kiba could tell by the set of his back that Sasuke was extremely tense. "What happened Shikamaru? Where's Naruto?"

Shikamaru flopped onto the grass. "We were playing at recess and this kid from the third grade dared him to go into the woods. I told Naruto that he shouldn't and that it was dangerous but he went anyway. It's been a long time, he went at the end of lunch break and he's still not back. I didn't want to tell Anko-sensei in case he got into trouble."

Sasuke's face had drained of any colour. The woods that bordered their school weren't large, but it was wide enough for a small boy to get lost in. It also had enough tangled roots and slimy rocks for anyone to injure themselves. Kiba stood up just as Sasuke took off towards the woods by the primary school building. He tore after Sasuke, hoping that the little tyke was okay.

He searched with Sasuke for the next hour. The Uchiha looked like he was on the verge of panicking. His eyes were slightly red around the edges like he was close to crying too. They'd scored the whole southern half of the woods and were now searching the remainder of them. Kiba sighed, if Shikamaru was right, then Naruto had been missing for an hour and forty five minutes. Hopefully, the little one had found his way back and their search was futile.

"Naruto! Naruto are you there?"

Sasuke's voice was hoarse with fear and amount of time he'd spent shouting for the little boy. He trudged on before screaming once more. Kiba was just about to reach out to Sasuke and give him a comforting hug, when they heard it. It was a tiny, scared voice, which sound pretty close. Sasuke turned left sharply, calling to the boy again.

Finally they reached a small space in the woods, a dip, to be precise. Naruto sat in the dip, clutching at his ankle, his face stained with tears and grime, his clothes all wet. Sasuke practically lunged for the small one, grabbing him in a rough hug, while still being careful about his ankle.

"Naruto..." Sasuke's voice almost broke with relief. "Naru...silly silly Naru!"

Kiba stayed a little distance away watching. He knew now was not the time, but he felt utterly jealous of the little boy. The amount of love and relief in the way Sasuke was saying Naruto's name made him wish that someday Sasuke might say his own name like that.

Naruto began to cry into Sasuke's shirt, clutching at the older boy with the same tight grip that he was in. "Sasu-nii...Sasu-nii..."

Sasuke finally let go of him and looked at him a little admonishingly. "Naruto! I've told you so many times never to go into the woods alone! I was so scared! What happened?"

The seven year old sniffled pitifully. "Kenji dared me. I _had_ to do it otherwise he'd call me scaredy cat! I wasn't really scared, so I ran in. It was so easy, there was nothing to be scared of...so I just kept running, but then I slipped and fell. I couldn't get up. My leg hurts, Sasu-nii it hurts a lot!" the last part came out in a wail.

Sasuke swore as he saw the red, hot ankle, which had swollen to twice its size. Naruto had twisted it when he fell it seemed. Sasuke started when Kiba handed him a wet hanky. The brunet smiled.

"It'll make him feel better."

Sasuke nodded and tightly bandaged the foot. Then he heaved Naruto onto his shoulders, taking the little boy piggy back. His heart was still racing slightly. If Shikamaru hadn't come to him, then maybe Naruto would still be here, until someone realised what had happened. Sasuke knew he was over thinking things, but nothing had scared him quite this badly.

Naruto snuggled into his back, his face so hot against his neck that Sasuke worried he might have a fever. His little boy's breath caressed his ear. "I knew you'd come and save me Sasuke-nii."

Sasuke half smiled at the boy. "Always Naru..."

"I love you, Sasuke-nii."

"I love you too..."

For a moment there, Kiba felt like an intruder. He suddenly felt like he had a contender for Sasuke's affections, before brushing it off...the kid was only seven. But the annoyed feeling about how much Sasuke _cared_ for Naruto never left him.

**-Flashback End-**

* * *

><p>Kiba stood up suddenly, his face serious and his eyes shrewd. He walked the few steps to Sasuke's drafting board almost leisurely. He placed his hand on the arm chair in front of the drafting board, leaning slightly as if he'd realised something during his musings. He slid the pencil out of Sasuke's hand with the same leisurely pace and looked right into the Uchiha's eyes when that got Sasuke's attention. Then he moved closer to the taller male and leaned up to kiss Sasuke full on the mouth, slow and soft.<p>

Naruto, who had been about to walk into the study to ask Sasuke something, was frozen in mid step. Sasuke was kissing his ex-boyfriend. There was something soft about that kiss, it made Naruto back out slowly and flatten himself against the wall, wanting to leave to calm the wild way his heart was beating but wanting to hear what this was all about. He doubted they were going to have sex.

Back inside the room, after what felt like hours Sasuke pushed Kiba away and stepped back. "What the fuck did you think you were doing, Inuzuka?"

"Kissing you."

"What made you think you had that right? I told you we're over and I told you that last year." Sasuke was seething with anger.

"I came over to see if you'd give me another chance...that was just me checking to see if you really did want to end things..."

Sasuke wanted to hit the man. Kiba always pushed him too far. Kiba always wanted too much. "I am done fucking your ass into the sheets. I've been dating quite a lot recently, so your services will not be necessary. Would you like me to be more frank?"

Kiba tensed, a hurt look flashing in his eyes before his head fell forwards; his hair hiding his eyes. His lips curved into a smile, a bitter one at that. "I expected you to be harsh." He looked up, a bitter laugh following that. "I guess this is it then. But let me ask you one thing Sasuke, why did you let Naruto stay here?"

Sasuke's eyes widened and he floundered. "I...Kyuubi...well I'm not heartless!"

Kiba's smile turned into a grimace. "No...When it comes to Naruto you're not. I wondered. When you stopped talking to that brat, when you cut him off...I was there the day you made him cry. You remember, Sasuke? You hurt him by being so harsh, that he cried in front of us all...he ran away, but he didn't see how much of that hurt you mirrored did he? Why did you go that far to cut him off, Sasuke?"

"He was a weakness. I had to rid of it to move forwards..."

Outside Naruto tensed, suddenly wondering where Kiba was going with this conversation.

Kiba's fists clenched. "HE STILL IS!" the yell surprised them both and Kiba fought to control himself. "He still is your weakness, Sasuke. I used to wish you could show me one iota of the love you had for him. One tiny bit of that consideration...but you still made me feel like a use and throw object. Almost nine years Sasuke! We've dated one and off for that long. We've known each other for even longer! I just wished that you cared...at least a little bit."

Sasuke walked to the window and looked outside resolutely. "I do, Kiba. Just not enough. That kid...the kid is not a weakness anymore."

Kiba shook his head though Sasuke couldn't see him. "I know you better than that Sasuke...he is. I just hadn't known how much he meant to you. You've spent all these years trying to squish it, but you and I both know why you took him in. We both know _exactly_ why you left him back then."

Sasuke whirled around suddenly and punched Kiba hard; there was a clatter of chairs and desks falling over. Fear and anger warred within his dark eyes, creating a churning black sea in them. "Get out! Get the fuck out of here and don't you dare come back."

Naruto heard footsteps approaching slid towards a niche in the wall. He could barely see Kiba walking away from him and down to the living room. He heard the door shut and waited a few minutes before allowing himself a peek into the study. Sasuke was sitting on the floor in the middle of the whole mess, his hands tight in his hair and his back rising with slow deep breaths. Naruto retreated and headed back to his bedroom. From all the churning thoughts in his head, only one rang as strongly as gong. _He was Sasuke's weakness._ The darkness in Naruto swirled that information around, tasting it, teasing it and coming to one conclusion. _He could use it to destroy that traitor..._

* * *

><p>His hands traced the gravestones lovingly, passing over the rough-smooth surface of the grey stone, eyes lost in far away memories. His mouth moved slightly, almost like he was talking to them as he comfortably sat between them. A few rays of pale sun filtered through the gap in the thick clouds, catching all the different blond tints in his hair and making his skin glow. Sasuke leaned against a tree, watching his foster brother, as he spoke to their parent's graves. Sasuke had been a little surprised when Naruto had asked to go out today, but then again, he should have remembered that it was his parent's death anniversary.<p>

Sasuke had never been able to understand how Naruto could have been so attached to his parents. They really weren't the best parents around...well his father wasn't...the way Sasuke had turned out was proof of that. His mouth turned down at the corners as a fleeting bit of resentment flashed in him, the thought that had started everything that had happened settled in his mind again. Naruto was _different_. His parents had _loved_ Naruto. He bit his lip as he remembered his father being tender with Naruto after the incident when the boy had drawn all over the contracts. Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned back taking a few deep breaths. He was twenty two for crying out loud. He should be able to give up all that resentment, especially now that Naruto was going to be living with him.

But Sasuke was only human. It is a strange quirk of human nature, that it's the small things that make the biggest differences. Sasuke's age didn't really matter. He had achieved so much in his life because of his drive to become better at everything. But that drive was fuelled by his need to be recognised by his parents. His parents seemed to recognise only Naruto. So the Sasuke, who hated the attention Naruto was receiving, grew to despise the boy. But little Naruto lit up Sasuke's days; he gave Sasuke attention, recognition and love. Sasuke had loved Naruto far more than he despised him. It was the day Sasuke had realised that he would do anything for the little bundle of sunshine, even give up his own dreams that Sasuke had cut himself off.

It was that day that Sasuke realised he wasn't the most important person in Naruto's life. That Naruto would be fine even if he, Sasuke, wasn't around. It didn't matter that the whole incident was a tiny tiny thing. He was sure Naruto would have forgotten about it by now. But the amount he had begun to depend on Naruto being there, had frightened the thirteen year old and Sasuke had ripped away that weakness.

His onyx eyes caught on a tiny droplet that was sliding down Naruto's cheek and followed it down to the perfect jaw from where it plummeted to the grass. Now, watching the few silent tears sliding down his golden foster brother's face, it came home to Sasuke that his weakness was back with a force of a hard kick to the groin. The raven turned away and focused on the rows and rows of graves spanning out in front of him. It seemed like he was destined to be split in two about his feelings for Naruto.

The golden haired boy raised a grubby hand and wiped his eyes. He hoped Sasuke-teme wasn't watching. He allowed himself a tiny glance in the raven's direction only to find the man calm and composed as he gazed away to the right, looking at the rest of the graveyard. That ultra calm look gnawed at Naruto, feeding the ocean of hatred that always seemed to wash his insides these days. Sasuke had no right to be calm! He had betrayed them all. What was worse, Naruto had seen him do it. Sasuke had sold his family, sold Naruto to get his freedom. Sasuke had _murdered_ his parents. Naruto remembered the time his parents had died, the accident, the conversation in the hospital bed and those red eyes.

His fingers scrabbled desperately at the stone graves with enough forces to break a nail or two. His voice hitched a little as the desperate secret that had haunted him for the past four years slid through his lips in an apology. The same one he'd made every year since that horrible day.

"It wasn't all Sasuke was it? It was me. You died because of me..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Phew I wonder why I always end up sad and yearning for something after writing for this story, but it lends a drama to my life I have yet to tire of. So what did you think? Please enlighten me, since when I read what you guys thought, it give **_**me**_** much more food for thought and encourages me beyond all boundaries! Hugs! Take care!**

**If any of this tends to seem cliché, well I won't let it be, but if I fail, I still promise you a good read!**

**Taka**


	3. Seeds

**A/N: I am so glad I finally had time to write this up. I got employed two months ago as a sub-editor in a national newspaper. So I work nights and am extremely busy. Both this story and the Guest are still in my mind and heart and will be updated soon. Both stories drive me nuts anyway with plot points popping up at unexpected times. So forgive me. I work till 3 am all the time, so am generally too tired to come home and write.**

**On a side note, I am keeping my characters as realistic as possible. The emotions and feelings they go through are based on the experiences of me and others who have given me permission to share their experiences. So I hope you like it.**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope the year allows me to write with as much focus as I did this morning till 2013!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: <strong>

He picked up the Queen of Spades and lazily dropped her below her King. It was a cold and windy Thursday and he was playing a game of Spider Solitaire. Sasuke had been called out by Neji again. It had now been three months since he'd come to Sasuke's home, and the shrink had given him the green signal to go back to school. It was a new school. Itachi had spoken to the Nara family and had decided after a talk with Sasuke, that Naruto would join the Nara prodigy at Konoha High, an elite private high school. In the past two months, Naruto had reinvented himself. He'd slowly picked up his forgotten martial art routine and begun to eat well. He had no idea still, about how to get his revenge on Sasuke. The conversation he'd heard between Sasuke and Kiba kept popping up in his head, but he had no idea what kind of a weakness he was. Sasuke was just as aloof with him as he was with everyone else.

He grunted in displeasure as he struggled to find his next move before clicking on the 'deal' button again. He had no choice. He clicked the button and frowned when he saw the cards he'd received. He could never finish the highest difficulty level in the damned game! He closed the game window and took to twirling himself around in the chair. When one was under house arrest for three months, one got caught up in being lazy and over thinking everything. Well he'd been good at that to begin with, he thought to himself with a short smile. He was looking forward to school. He could be new there.

After days of watching Sasuke's bastardly attitude, he'd realised that maybe a bit of that wouldn't be too bad. The Naruto before the accident had been sweet and friendly, the one after had been lost and withdrawn. Now Naruto decided he wanted to live a little. The phrase made him laugh. He'd just have fun. Do anything he wanted to. He could work on his revenge plan for Sasuke side by side anyway, since he lived with the fucking bastard.

A low song began to pound through the house. While Sasuke loved classical, Naruto lived for rock. He began looking around for his phone. Sasuke had finally gotten him a brand new cell phone a month back. In a way Naruto was grateful, since he'd been forced to use Sasuke's landline every time he called Itachi. He found his phone on the end table beside his bed. He frowned; it was a number he didn't recognise. Unusual...he only had family numbers on the phone. None of his old friends would know how to contact him. He suddenly realised that the phone would ring off if he didn't take the call. He pressed the green button and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Naruto-kun."

The blond boy almost dropped the phone. The blood seemed to drain out of his face so fast, he looked like a corpse. His voice came out in a soft whisper. "You..."

"Yes, me. It took a while to find out what had happened to you. I didn't expect that so much would occur when I was away." The deep voice paused, before turning a little dangerous. "I hear you tried to kill yourself..."

Naruto swallowed hard. "I..."

"You _belong_ to me, Naruto-kun. I thought I had made that clear." The voice sighed like all the burdens in the world were placed up on the person who owned it. "So you're living with _Sasuke-kun_ now. Tell me, Naruto...how does it feel to live with the very person who helped your parents die? The very person who _sold_ you to me?"

Naruto growled. The fear burning inside giving way to a white hot anger. "I hate it. I hate him..."

"Then come to me. Live with me."

In the fraction of a second, the anger in Naruto fell apart, giving way to disgust and fear all over again. "No." He badly wanted to add "_You're worse than him"_ to the refusal, but he knew he had to be careful.

"I see. You'd rather stay with the blood traitor than take your rightful place with me. Who else needs to die to convince you, Naruto?" The voice turned harsh. "Who else must die for your sake? Itachi? Kyuubi? Sasuke?"

Naruto slid onto the bed, his knees shaking violently. "Please...please...stop it. Please...I don't get my inheritance for the next seven years. I'm of no use to you..."

"You think I want you for your money?" a loud slightly hysterical laugh sounded on the other end. "I have more than enough money, Naruto. I just want you here. Do you remember? At the hospital? I asked you to come stay with me. You've avoided it for the past four years...I can't let you run anymore..."

"Why? Why must I come to you?"

"All in good time. You haven't answered me yet. Who else do you want dead?"

"A year. Give me a year and I'll come to you. I promise. Please...don't hurt anyone else."

"A year. Alright. One year Naruto-kun. But let me warn you, one more attempt at dying, and I'll murder everyone around you. You understand?"

"Yes! I get it! I won't!"

The end tone sounded, as the person cut the call. Naruto crumpled onto the bed, clutching a pillow close and burying his face in it. The resulting darkness seemed frightening. _He'd found him._ The three words flew around in his head in circles until tears started to wet the pillow. A year...after that he'd have to leave. If he didn't...the details of the accident came rushing back to him. Naruto started to breathe hard, close to hyperventilating. That man had made it so anything Naruto did to get away would cost him. The man was fucking crazy!

A tiny watery giggle escaped his mouth as the thought flitted through his mind. The giggle erupted into a bout of crazy laughter, as Naruto realised that he was just as crazy as the man. He continued to laugh rather maniacally, before the sounds turned into screams. Suddenly he shoved everything off his end table, enjoying the clattering they made as they hit the ground. He went on a rampage through the room as his mind carefully locked itself away from the grief and claustrophobia that enveloped him now. Instead his mind retreated to a safer place where everything else was okay.

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><p><strong>-Flashback-<strong>

Naruto sat by a low table in the playroom, colouring a few pictures Sasuke-nii had given him. The older boy had just taught him how to colour within the lines. So the six year old was neatly following the lines of the pictures with his preferred colour before filling it in. He felt so proud of himself, he almost wiggled with joy. He finished colouring his picture and then scraped away the extra colour from the pastels with his ruler. Then he got down to rubbing the left over colour brutally with a rag, till the whole thing became smoother than Sasuke-nii's skin.

He put the rag down and rubbed his aching hands. Lying back on the carpet he waved his arms and legs in the same way one makes a snow angel, before he stopped and took small breaths. Okay! He was ready to go show Sasuke-nii how awesome he was! He picked up all the pictures and went off at a run towards the door only to slam into someone's legs.

He fell onto his butt, his pictures scattering everywhere. For a minute his eyes filled and his mouth trembled, but he bit his lip. Sasuke-nii had told him that he needed to stop crying at every little thing if he wanted to be a big boy.

A pair of hands quickly gathered the pictures and then wrapped around him, helping him stand up. The man who'd helped him, smiled at him kindly. "I'm sorry Naruto-kun. I didn't see you there."

Naruto looked up at the man a little hesitantly before smiling up at him widely. "Hello! Thank you for helping me! I have to go now!"

The man shook his head. "I came here especially to meet _you_, Naruto-kun. I have something for you. Do you want to see what it is?"

Naruto nodded wide-eyed. He'd never had anyone come to see him specially before. The man smiled and pulled out a frog stuffed toy that came up to Naruto's knee. It had one eye coming off. The man held it out to him. "Do you remember your _real_ Otou-san, Naruto?"

"My _old_ Otou-san? Yeah, I remember!" He took the toy and cuddled it. His Otou-san always showed him a picture of his old parents and made sure Naruto never forgot. But Naruto was forgetting a little, and he really did love his new father and mother a lot.

"Well, this froggy belonged to your old Otou-san, when he was as small as you. Its name is Gamabunta. You'll take care of him won't you?"

"Okay! I like Gamabunta!"

At that point, Fugaku walked in at the door. "Oh, I see you've both met. Naruto, this man is..."

**-Flashback End-**

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><p>"NARUTO! NARUTO!"<p>

Sasuke had come home only to hear crashes and screams emanating from upstairs. He'd run up the stairs two at a time and burst into Naruto's room, only to find it completely destroyed, with a screaming distraught Naruto breaking anything he came into contact with. He hadn't spent too much time wondering what to do. He'd quickly tackled the boy while calling out his name to get his attention.

Naruto had fought back hard, but Sasuke had finally managed to wrap his arms around the boy and pin him to his chest. He held him there in the tightest hold he could manage. Looking at Naruto, he wondered why the boy had suddenly gone off his rocker. They'd seemed to be making progress recently. Well not that Naruto's attitude towards him was any better, but at least the boy had started eating and taking an interest in life.

Naruto's eyes showed that amidst all the destruction, Naruto was far away, somewhere else. For some reason it scared Sasuke. He dropped his head against Naruto's, before calling out his name again in a loud and clear voice, while trying to keep any frantic tones out of it.

The glazed blue eyes came back to life, looking up at him for a few minutes, before filling up with tears. Pain threatened to carve Sasuke to bits as Naruto started to sob against his chest. Each painful, long drawn out sob, had Sasuke holding the boy closer. The dark haired man suddenly found comforting the blond boy easy, as he rubbed the others back and whispered soft soothing reassurances into his ear.

The sobbing quietened after a while, but Naruto didn't seem to want to let him go. They sat there in the darkening, devastated room for a long time, just holding each other. Finally Sasuke moved, realising that Naruto was feeling too insecure to let him leave, he helped the blond boy to his feet and slipped his hand into the tan one. Then he led the boy to his living room and lightly pushed him down into a chair. Wrapping a fleece throw around him, Sasuke headed to the kitchen to heat up some ramen for Naruto and a microwave curry meal for himself. He guessed neither of them was in the mood for any proper cooking.

They ate silently, sitting closer to each other than they ever had before. Naruto kept his focus firmly on each action he was performing. When he ate he just concentrated on chewing and swallowing. Somehow Sasuke's presence made him feel comfortable instead of angry. But Naruto's mind was too tired to think about that. He decided that one day without any hatred was okay. He didn't want to be alone at this very moment.

So when they finished, he washed and dried their forks and put them back in the drawer by the sink. He placed his hands on the counter and sighed. He'd have to take the couch tonight; his room was in such a mess that the bed wasn't usable. A light touch at his shoulder made him turn around to see Sasuke standing there, the usual calm expression on his face. He followed the dark haired man all the way back to his room.

"You can sleep here tonight." Sasuke gestured to the bed and then to the couch by the window on the left. "I'll take the couch over there."

The sleeping arrangements didn't really suit either of them. Naruto wanted company to keep the nightmares away; he wanted some good sleep for just one night. Sasuke was almost overwhelmed by this crazy desire to protect Naruto; it mirrored exactly what he felt all those years ago.

Sasuke stayed awake listening to Naruto breathe after the boy had finally drifted off to sleep. He'd never seen Naruto act the way he did today. It was almost like he'd been possessed. He slowly got to his feet and made his way to Naruto's room. He couldn't sleep anyway and he might as well put himself to use somewhere.

The boy's room resembled a military missile test site. Everything lay in pieces. Sasuke sighed and went to get the dust pan to clear up the glass. He also made sure to stop and put on a pair gloves and slippers. This was going to take a while.

* * *

><p><strong>FlashbackDream:**

_When he opened his eyes he was in the car. His father was driving over the speed limit, looking scared and harried. He didn't know what all this was about, but from what he'd gleaned from the talk between his parents, it had something to do with Sasuke. They stopped at a big building and got out of the car. Naruto and his mother waited in the lobby while his father disappeared to talk to someone. _

_Naruto looked around at the building. He smiled when he thought that maybe one day he'd own a building as nice as this one. It was the perfect bustling company, people moving around busily. He watched as a man walked out the doors with interest. He looked the man up and down, it seemed like he was hurrying, as though he had some urgent work. He stopped suddenly and bent down by their car. It looked like he was tying his shoelace, but Naruto remembered that his shoelace had been tied..._

"_Naruto?"_

_He turned away from the man to look at his mother. "Hm?"_

"_We might get a chance to go to your Sasuke-nii's house." His mother fake smiled at him. Naruto could tell her fake smiles from her real ones easily now. After all he was thirteen now. He looked seriously at his mother. _

"_Is Sasuke-nii in any trouble?" He was worried. Even after the last time Sasuke had screamed at him for trying to contact him, Naruto couldn't erase his concern and love for his foster brother. _

_Mikoto looked uncertain. "I don't know. Fugaku heard that...well I don't believe Sasuke did it..."_

_Naruto frowned. "I don't believe Sasuke-nii would ever do anything bad! I heard you and father talking about stealing some documents...Sasu-nii would **never**..."_

_Mikoto hushed him quietly. "I don't believe it either. He's not a thief. He would have told me, if he had taken them..."_

"_Of course he would have told you if he had. But Sasuke-nii wouldn't STEAL anything!" Naruto sighed and fidgeted for a while. "Kaa-san...I'm so jealous of you. You get to talk to him everyday...you're the only one he talks to. He screamed at me when I tried to call him again."_

"_Aww, it's ok, Naru. Sasuke is going through a hard time right now. He's only seventeen…I know he's going to be eighteen in two months but eighteen isn't all that grown up and he's already in his third and final year at university. All teenagers go through this and he probably sees you as any older brother sees his younger brother. He loves you Naru, it'll be alright." _

_That was when their father came back. Naruto had never seen his father looking like that. Fugaku's face looked utterly defeated. He ignored Naruto and looked at his wife. "He did give them away..."_

"_Not Sasuke!" Mikoto's eyes were wide and denial shone through them clearly._

"_He did. It's been scanned for finger prints. The bastard had the documents scanned just so he could prove it to me and rub it in my face. Sasuke gave him the documents...for a place at his goddamn university..." Fugaku grabbed Mikoto's arm and led her out, gesturing for Naruto to follow. "Apparently they'd denied him a place because of his age, genius or not, so he did it so he could have a place at the university."_

_Mikoto slumped in her seat as soon as they got into the car. "This is dangerous. I don't think Sasuke knew what they were, we should talk to him."_

"_I'm sure he didn't know. But let's head over to his dorm and then see what we can do from there..." Fugaku started the car. Silence reigned over everyone for a while. They were in what looked like the countryside. Fugaku was just about keeping to the speed limit. The phone began to ring. Naruto watched his father pick up. After a few seconds his expression changed. He dropped the phone. "Mikoto, get the boy out of here, now!"_

_It would have only taken a few seconds, but to Naruto, the details from here on were slow and perfectly clear. His mother snapped open her seat belt and reached over to him. She frantically unclipped his seat belt, opened the door and shoved him out. Naruto hit the sidewalk hard and rolled. He came up to hear a short crack and the car swerved out of control. He saw his mother get thrown out of the windshield, sailing across the air and hitting the sidewalk hard. The car hit the end of a small bridge and began to roll. Then it rested on the green grass for a moment before bursting into flames. Naruto watched the whole thing in slow motion. Then he limped over to his mother; her head was resting at a weird angle, blank eyes staring into the distance. Then reality came crashing down on him as the few people on the road started to gather..._

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><p>"AAAAAAAAAAH!"<p>

He sat up in bed, air being sucked into his lungs in short gasping breaths and half-sobs. His eyes blurred, it seemed like his tears glands always stood at attention these days, ready to let forth a flood at every given opportunity. A shape materialized at his doorway and he blinked to get a better look. It was Sasuke; for some reason the dark haired man had yellow cleaning gloves on his hands.

Sasuke's face softened and in two wide steps the man had come to the bed and sat down beside Naruto. Two strong arms came around the boy, pulling him close and holding him tight. It seemed Sasuke's reservations about getting close to him had disappeared with their last encounter.

Inside, Naruto struggled. One part of him wanting to push the man away, all the scenes in his nightmare coming back with clarity...but another part of him wanted to sink into this embrace again. He chose the latter. Not because of his revenge plan or anything, just because he needed it. Sasuke was making him feel protected again.

This time tears made their way down on their own, though he fought to keep them back. They wet Sasuke's shirt, though the boy didn't make a sound. Naruto's mind kept going over the memory nightmare again. It would never leave him. They'd saved him. He knew what had happened; after all he'd met _that man_ in the hospital. He'd explained everything. He'd explained how he hadn't known that his precious Naruto was in the car, how he'd gotten someone to tape a small explosive to the brake wires of the car. How he'd take care of Naruto, now that Fugaku and Mikoto were out of the way. How he'd never have been able to do this if Sasuke hadn't given him the documents.

Naruto stopped at that point. Going there right now was not a good thing. Instead he pulled back from Sasuke's hug and looked at him a little pleadingly. "Stay?" that was all he could get out without his pride being pummelled anymore.

Sasuke looked a little surprised but nodded. He worked the gloves off his hands and then went to fetch his pillow from the couch. He lay down next to the blond, firmly putting his back against the blond's back; comfort without the cuddling. Sleep came for them both a while later, smothering them in her embrace and Comfort followed to tuck them in.

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><p>Sasuke looked at his watch and frowned. He'd been calling for Naruto for the last five minutes, but the boy was yet to appear. They'd be late to his school at this rate. Sasuke paced the living room, irritation shadowing him. It would take fifteen minutes to get to Konoha High; but Naruto didn't seem to be hurrying. Sasuke swore; he didn't want to drive in a hurry through the jam packed streets of Central Konoha, and everybody would be heading for West Konoha since the road to the school also connected to two of the major business parks.<p>

Naruto had gone back to his original attitude even after that night a week ago; but he was just a tad less frigid. Sometimes a sudden camaraderie would surface and he'd make jokes and smile. Sasuke sighed. He breathed in to call for the blond one more time, when he appeared. The breath Sasuke had taken caught and held rather painfully.

The blond looked _fine._ No not fine in the 'I'm fine way' but _fine_ in a 'damn hot' way. The black uniform slacks hung off the well formed hips, outlining his tight ass rather sexily. The shirt was a deep red; a deep red tie with thin navy blue diagonal stripes hanging off an open collar. The black blazer fitted perfectly showing off the broadening shoulders, giving the blond a rather neatly dishevelled appearance. The blond hair was also perfectly mussed, the golden spikes falling about his face and the blue eyes glinted with life and excitement. The boy's wrists though, had black wrist bands to cover his scars.

Sasuke finally realised he was suffocating himself and silently took a deep breath. The blue eyes locked with his and a touch of nervousness appeared in them. One single word voiced the emotion.

"Okay?"

Sasuke nodded and kept his voice nonchalant. "You look fine. Can we leave now?"

The blond nodded and went out the door, leaving Sasuke to lock up. Sasuke shut the door and turned to follow the blond. To his annoyance, just before they reached the car, he realised that his eyes kept coming back to Naruto. He expelled an angry hiss before sliding into his car, wondering if it was alright to send Naruto to school looking this good. God, this was his foster brother. Sasuke shook his head in irritation. He stubbornly kept his eyes on the road and tried to strangle the thoughts of all the people who would hit on _his little brother_.

Naruto was only feeling a little nervous. After everything he'd been through, school couldn't faze him. He looked out the window at all the passing buildings, wondering what his first day would be like. He glanced at Sasuke and saw the man scowling a little, eyes firmly fixed on the road. He noted that Sasuke looked good, as always.

A crisp striped green and white shirt with khaki pants hugged his frame like a lover. Naruto eyed the shirt in wonder, Sasuke usually preferred blues, reds, blacks and whites. This green shirt actually looked great on him. He suddenly realised his gaze was making Sasuke uncomfortable, if the tiny signs were anything to go by, so he upped the strength of his gaze and amused himself.

Sasuke finally looked at him, though it was fleeting. "I do wear other colours once in a while." He said, correctly guessing the object of Naruto's attention. He tried changing the subject. "You do have enough money for lunch don't you?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes, this is the fourth time you're asking me, _mom_..."

Sasuke scowled at the road ahead, thanking God for the Nth time, for not giving him super powers. He would have blasted the little monkey in the seat next to him to smithereens. He sighed in relief as they finally drove up to the school parking lot.

Naruto frowned when Sasuke got out with him. The brunet saw the look and sighed. "Look I'm supposed to go show my face, show them that I am here for you and will attend anything that they might contact me for and all that. It would be inexcusable for me to leave you to go to school on your first day without meeting your principal with you."

Naruto grimaced at this, but waited for the man anyway. He supposed he should be happy that Sasuke didn't care much for this whole meet the principal thing either. He opted to look around.

They walked through the first garden. Naruto liked it, the school was a red brick building but with lots of open spaces. The whole building was built around a bunch of gardens and the playing fields stretched out behind it. The way to the principal's office was through a long lonely winding path through one of the gardens, it gave you small glimpses through parts of the wall where the bricks were thin and hollow making a sort of brick mesh. So Naruto could soak in the school's atmosphere somewhat before being thrown into the mix.

They reached the reception, a large airy room painted a nice cream, with a few couches for people to wait. Sasuke and Naruto were ushered in to meet Principal Tsunade. The men gaped. When Itachi, who had taken care of finding and entering Naruto into the school, had told Sasuke he was in for a 'surprise' with the principal, little did the man imagine _this_.

They were bazookas. The woman was tall and beautiful. She didn't look a day older than twenty and her boobs...were bazookas. Sasuke idly wondered if they could be used as weapons, his head tilted as he examined that possibility. A sudden pain in his foot accompanied by a blue glare brought him back and he almost blurted what he'd been thinking to the younger boy.

A throat cleared and the pretty pink lips parted in a smile, bringing their attention to her face. "I'm Principal Tsunade. You must be Naruto and Sasuke. Welcome to Konoha High. I'll just run through a quick introductory talk."

The talk didn't last too long. The woman just gave a short explanation as to the school rules, what she expected from Sasuke, what she expected from Naruto and then sent them both out with a clipped dismissal. The two men walked to the reception and Naruto collected his timetable and other documents. They stepped out and looked at each other.

Sasuke gave a short Uchiha nod. "Have fun, I'll pick you up at five."

Naruto nodded and made his way up the path to a door. Principal Tsunade had said Nara would be waiting for him there. He opened it and walked through to find the genius leaning against a wall, eyes closed. He looked the same.

Tanned, short straight pony tail which stood up over his head and two silver earrings. The uniform which became Naruto so well, gave Nara a tall, lean and uncharacteristic sexiness.

The small black eyes opened lazily. "Yo..."

Naruto gave him a short smile. "It's good to see you again. It's been a really long time."

"That it has. Follow me; we're already a little late..."

The hallways were large and airy, with medium sized potted plants placed by the walls at strategic points. From what Naruto could see the classrooms were also really large, giving a sort of 'free' effect. Shikamaru stopped at class 12A. The students who were sitting with their heads down, reading their textbooks looked up as the two entered. Naruto suddenly realised he recognised the teacher behind the desk. Iruka-sensei had been his teacher when he'd been in middle school; bit had transferred out before his last year there. The man smiled warmly.

"Naruto-kun! It's great to see you again!" Iruka patted his shoulder before turning to the rest of the class. "Class this is Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, he'll be joining you for this last year, please take care of him."

Naruto bowed shortly, noticing how whispers had begun to sound from every single desk in the classroom. He looked up again to meet pretty light green eyes which lit up in a smile.

"Naruto!"

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto couldn't believe his eyes or the sudden gladness that spread through him. Sakura had been his best friend ever since first grade and then up to middle school. She'd transferred out to Kumo when they were in middle school. They'd kept in touch for a long time, but then he'd stopped contacting her when the accident happened. Naruto hadn't even known she'd returned.

Iruka grinned at him. "Why don't you take the desk next to Sakura, then? You seem like old friends."

The whispers had gained intensity and Naruto's barely sat down at his desk when a girl behind Sakura, with long brown hair leaned forward. "I'm Kaori. It's really nice to meet you, Naruto-kun…" She said his name flirtily.

It only fazed him for a second. He ran his fingers through his hair and gave her an easy smile, his eyes raking over her well proportioned figure before placing his face a tad bit closer to hers. "_Very_ nice to meet you too…"

He had the effect he'd expected as the girl flushed a little, her eyes lighting up in 'flirt-mode', just as the old pervert had told him they would. When he was in his old school, back when he was fourteen, a year after his parents passed away, he'd bumped into the 'pervert'. The old man had seen him moping around by the river and had somehow wheedled his way into Naruto's life. He had claimed that Naruto was going to be his best pupil and had imparted some 'wisdom' about women then and there. Later Naruto had found out that the man had been a friend of his blood-father and their friendship had progressed.

This was the first time the blond was putting into practice what he had learnt. He had heard a lot about how 'letting go' and 'just living' would help from his therapist and though some part of him argued that this was not what it had meant, he just went ahead with it. By the end of the class, Kaori was all but drooling over him, while the rest of the women were crowding around trying to get his attention.

Sakura frowned a little and grabbed his arm, leading him outside to his next class. "You've changed a lot…"

Naruto tried a charming grin on her. "You think so? You wanna find out how much I've changed?" his raised his eyebrows.

She slapped his shoulder. "No I don't. We were best friends, Naruto…I won't fall for your tricks and you know it…"

The smile left his face, giving way to a slightly broody expression, which turn changed to relief. When he turned to smile at her again, it was a genuine. "I'm sorry we lost touch. We have a lot of catching up to do…"

She smiled back at him. "Yes we do…"

So Sakura was left out his plans of debauchery. Though she tried again and again to stop him, his playboy attitude continued, until one day a month after he joined Konoha High, it paid off…

"Naruto-kun!"

Naruto turned lazily, a bored expression on his features. He cut a handsome figure, his left hand holding a bag over his shoulder, while his right found purchase on the wall. "Hm?"

It was Kaori, her long brown hair left open, hanging like a curtain over her shoulders and her hands stretched out to him holding an envelope. "I…Please go out with me…"

The blue eyes studied her for a moment, expressionlessly. Naruto's tone was light, casual. "Gomen Kaori-chan, I don't do relationships…" He paused a moment, give her a quick look from top to bottom. "I'm a bit of a commitment-phobe, you might say…"

Kaori looked up at him wide-eyed. "But…but you…we've been flirting all this time…I thought you liked me…"

Naruto sighed, now leaning against the wall, looking sympathetic in a rather cold way. "I do like you, Kaori…but I don't want a relationship…if you get what I mean…"

"I'd still like to be with you…"

Naruto grimaced a little at that. Then he turned to her fully, serious. "No, I mean it. I'll be blunt here, for me it would be a onetime thing. You don't know me, anything about me! You can't change me. I won't reform or suddenly fall for you or anything of the sort…"

Kaori was silent seeming to consider it. Then she bit her lip. "That's ok…" She missed the slight look of disgust that flitted through those very blue eyes.

Naruto exhaled and made up his mind. It wasn't like he had anything loose. "Fine." He gave her a sexy grin and held out his hand. His screaming conscience was tucked away into a box and thrown away as she took it. He had a year…he might as well enjoy it.

Kaori was just the first in a long line of people who were willing to just have his body. For Naruto, it was sex…and which hormonal teenage boy would turn down sex?

* * *

><p>Sasuke nodded to everything that was being said as he went through the designs on his desk. The Yamanaka's finished talking and leaned back in their chairs, watching Sasuke concentrate on the plans, his eyes scanning them speedily before he replaced them on the desk. He picked up a pencil, his hand blurring as he made quick changes to the designs, explaining as he drew. Then he smiled. "I think this would work better, it gives you what you want, while making your employees feel like you care about them too."<p>

Yamanaka Inoichi let a small smile ease the stern lines of his face. Uchiha Sasuke was brilliant, which was why he, Inoichi, had sacked the old architect and come to him. The plans also made his new building look sleeker, while the changes were much more cost efficient. "I love it. Let's meet at the site day after tomorrow and meet the masons and contractors. I'm glad I listened to my daughter…"

His beautiful blond daughter smiled. "Sasuke is the best in the city, Daddy. We should have come to him sooner…"

Inoichi agreed with his daughter and shook Sasuke's hand with a firm grip. He looked at the watch before he made his excuses and made for the door. Ino called after him, saying she would be down in ten minutes. Then she turned to Sasuke and shot him a triumphant look, her fingers trailing the hair that hung over her shoulder. "So are you pleased? Am I to be rewarded?"

Sasuke grinned at her and threw himself into his seat making it creak and roll backwards a little. He placed his right arm on the desk and pulled himself closer to it. "Another million dollar deal! Ino, if we hadn't broken up and made peace two years ago, this would have made me propose."

Ino shook her head and smiled without regret. "I'm taken…Neji is far better looking and well mannered. It's also a part of why daddy trusted you…because my fiancé is your partner. Now, I have more good news for you."

Sasuke shook his head in wonder raising his eyebrows in expectation. "More good news?"

"Well, Neji said he was fine with me accompanying you to the Hatake gala. He's going to be out of town so you won't have to go looking for some toy to hang off your arm and make you look respectable. Our engagement is a secret, so there will be no talk or gossip, save for the usual." Ino's pale blue eyes twinkled merrily. "Happy?"

"Ecstatic!" Sasuke did feel content. Ino and Neji were his closest friends apart from Kiba. When things with Kiba hit rock bottom and he'd ended, these two had helped him get through the brunet's rants and accusations. He and Ino had dated briefly and then broken it off when they realised how utterly unsuited they were to each other. "You have to go now?"

Ino sighed prettily and stood. "Yes. I'm off to some other meeting with daddy. He wants me to take over soon…" Then she stopped at the door. "Sasuke…I know we haven't talked in a long while, since I just got back from Wave country. I met Kiba recently. He's engaged to Hinata…their wedding is next week. Did you know?"

For a moment Sasuke froze. No he hadn't known. While, Kiba _had_ told him that he was going to make his move on someone…he had had no idea it would be Neji's cousin. The same Hinata they'd fought about once or twice. He looked out the window. "No…"

Ino exhaled a little loudly. "Well, now you do. When I spoke to him he told me Naruto-kun was living with you…"

Sasuke nodded. "I got custody."

Ino was silent for a long while. Then she turned to meet his eyes. "Sasuke…" She faltered, her fingers tightening and loosening on the door, then continued. "Sasuke, this time, you have to handle it better. I also heard that Haruno Sakura was back too. Are you sure you'll be okay? That he'll be okay?"

Sasuke's eyes flashed with a suppressed anger, before he smoothed his face out. "I'm 22. I think I'm old enough to keep a lid on myself and not repeat the mistakes of the past." He regretted telling those three why he'd cut it off with Naruto. Well he hadn't told them why exactly, just that it had to do with Sakura too.

Ino nodded sombrely. "Kiba also mentioned that he was suspicious of your feelings towards…"

Sasuke slammed his hands on the table with a crash. The desk vibrated with his anger, a sheaf of papers sliding of it. "Kiba should learn to leave well enough alone! Don't you dare say it. I denied it before and I'm telling you that he's wrong again! Do you get it? Or are you going to choose to believe the mutt over me?"

Ino bit her lip in resignation. "Look, I just want you to be alright. Naruto-kun too. I'm sorry, I'll talk to you later…" She walked out and shut the door softly behind her leaving Sasuke fuming.

The dark haired man sat down hard and turned his chair to gaze out the window. Millions of people milled around like ants under the afternoon sun. He sighed and took in the view trying to be calmer. It had been a little more than a month since Naruto had gotten back to school. Sasuke had stopped picking him up and had given him a set of keys after consulting his therapist, so they both could have some privacy. He just had to be back by six for another month and then the therapist had said to give him some more freedom. His thoughts shifted to the time Naruto had come home for a project last week, he'd brought her. _Sakura Haruno…_Sasuke intensely disliked her.

* * *

><p><strong>-Flashback-<strong>

Sasuke sat on the bench idly, his legs curled up next to him and his head resting on the board behind him. Naruto was making his debut in this new park, where he'd said all his classmates came to play. Sasuke had been towed along as 'piggy-back-chauffer', chaperone and ATM for Naruto's victual needs. He was bored out of his life. After he'd been dragged around to be shown off as the all-rounder in Naruto care, the little boy had deposited him on the bench and pushed off to play.

Sasuke opened one eye and saw that Naruto was talking to one pink haired little girl and a tubby little boy. Then he closed his eyes and went back to his zoned out state, which he hoped would protect him from the little kid cooties. He hoped that his pretence of sleep would induce Naruto to leave him alone, but it was not to be. After a while there were some soft touches that got heavier as a small body scrambled up his and then two small hands patted his cheeks.

"Sasu-nii?"

Sasuke opened his eyes and regarded the blue eyed bundle currently standing on his lap. Naruto grinned at him and promptly sat down on his lap. Then he leaned to the side, the bones in his scrawny butt digging into Sasuke's soft thighs painfully, while he patted the bench next to them and hauled the pink haired child onto it.

Then he beamed up at Sasuke and said the words that could still bring a boiling rage churning inside Sasuke till date. "Sasu-nii…this is Haruno Sakura. Sakura-chan has agreed to let me marry her when I grow up."

It was a baby-introduction. Just some nonsense that all seven-year-olds who have watched too much TV spewed. But all Sasuke felt was a sudden dismal ache in his being, a hole, which, for the time being, slowly filled up with a mild hatred for the little girl who was nodding and adding to Naruto's talk of their wedding cake and how he'd eat it all.

It should have stopped at that really. Later, when Sasuke was grown up, he'd tell himself it was all childish jealousy. But it is rightly said that childhood emotions can spark a grown up war. With Haruno Sakura began the path of destruction that would sow bitterness in its path.

Naruto spent all his time at school with his new friends. She tagged along when he came to visit Sasuke. She came to all his parties, she visited their house; she took away more time with Naruto than he was willing to share. So Sasuke began competing. The competition began as a need for Sasuke to retain his foster brother's affection; an affection that had been given to him with no strings attached that warmed him in his world of pressure. It went on for a whole year, his replies to Sakura becoming sharper and sharper, his attitude towards her worsening, until even his friends began to notice it.

Naruto, of course, remained completely oblivious to the whole thing. He was never shown Sasuke's dislike of Sakura openly and no matter how much the little girl complained, he just didn't believe that Sasu-nii could be mean. He still proclaimed his love for Sasuke and his crush on Sakura in the same breath, making Sasuke want to strangle the girl. Then finally when Sasuke was thirteen, it culminated in the blow that would get Sasuke to stop and let go.

Ever since this whole vendetta against Sakura, Sasuke's school work had been steadily slipping. Though when Sasuke's work slipped, it only slipped to an A from the usual Distinction. He had been put in the 11th grade at the start of the new school year and the work was extremely difficult, even for him. He should have been able to keep up his scores, but he was more interested in keeping Naruto to himself. No one had even loved him for himself the way Naruto had. Sasuke missed that. He missed someone who had no expectations of him.

The fateful evening, Sasuke got taken aside by his teachers. They wanted to know if everything was okay. The boy kept spacing out, submitting his assignments late and his grades had dropped. They were worried the workload was too much and that they might have to send him back to the 10th grade. Sasuke was scared and worried. Things had been going good with his father and he didn't want his teachers talking to his parents, though he knew at this point that it was moot. He didn't want to go home alone and face his parents by himself.

So Sasuke made his way to Naruto's part of the school. Naruto's school had just ended, so the blond was found in the field with his friends has usual. Sasuke beckoned him over. Sasuke smiled as Naruto ran over at once. Usually the blond walked home with his friends after playing in the field for another hour, since they all lived close-by and it was relatively safe.

"Naru…I was wondering if you wanted to walk home together?" Sasuke tried to keep the tension out of his voice. It wasn't that his father would hurt him; it was just that disappointment he would see in those eyes. He just wanted Naruto nearby so he wouldn't feel as pathetic.

"Is something wrong, Sasu-nii?"

Sasuke shifted a little, knowing that those blue eyes could see through him. Naruto knew him too well. "I think my teacher's going to call Otou-san…I…I haven't been doing too well…"

Naruto's eyes went wide. "Of course, I'll come with you." He puffed up with a childish pride. "Otou-san won't be mad if I explain everything!" The sentence should have made Sasuke mad, but it only stung a little.

Sasuke smiled at him, full of affection and love. He knew Naruto would always be there for him. "Get your bags…let's go." Naruto nodded and ran to scoop up his bags. He was about to join Sasuke, when a voice called out to him.

"Naruto! Where are you going? It's my birthday and you promised you'd come home!" Sakura was standing a few feet behind the blond.

Naruto's eyes widened. He swallowed looking back and forth between them. Sakura's birthday was special, but Sasuke really needed him. Then he saw Sasuke's eyes soften.

The dark haired boy shook his head. "It's okay, go ahead. It's her birthday…" As much as Sasuke hated Sakura, he knew Naruto would guilt trip himself if he didn't go, later.

The blond looked at him torn. "Sasu-nii, I'll quickly go and then meet you in an hour by the river? We can walk home together and then talk to Otou-san. So we'll meet at 5?"

Sasuke felt a surge of joy that Naruto actually thought it important enough to cut short his party. He nodded and watched the blond run off with the pink haired girl, before making his way to the river. One hour wasn't too long to wait and he was sure he would bide that time someone.

Sometimes things can go cosmically wrong. When Sasuke opened his eyes, the sky was dark and full of stars. He had dozed off while he waited, he supposed. Then he paused. _Wait, what's the time?_ A glance at his watch told him it was 8. It took him a little time to realise that three hours had passed and Naruto hadn't shown up. He checked his phone and while there were plenty of missed calls from his family, Naruto's number or Sakura's home number wasn't among them. Something sank very slowly to the bottom of his stomach. He picked up his bag and made his way down the road towards his home.

As he got in, Mikoto caught him up in a hug. "Where were you? We were so worried…School let out four hours ago, Sasuke!"

"I thought I'd sit by the river a while, I fell asleep…where's Naruto?" Sasuke's voice was deadpan.

"He's still at the Haruno's. They insisted he stay for dinner, Sakura's mother called. Itachi's going to pick him up on his way back from college. Your brother's coming home for a while you know." Mikoto looked at Sasuke's blank face, but she knew him too well. She put an arm around him. "Sasuke, I don't know what's really bothering you but everything will be okay."

They walked to the dining room. Fugaku sat alone at the table. They had waited for him to come home for dinner. The three of them ate quietly making small talk. After dinner, Sasuke followed Fugaku to the study, suddenly aware that he was alone, even Itachi wasn't here. Just his mother waiting outside.

Fugaku took an arm chair and sat down, beckoning Sasuke to sit on the sofa. Once they were both settled he turned to look at his son. "I had a phone call from your teacher today…she said you were a little distant in class. Is everything okay, Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked into his father's eyes and mistook the concern brimming there for disappointment. "No everything's fine. The coursework is a little challenging, I'm getting there, don't worry."

Fugaku just got more worried. He wished there was someone way to turn Sasuke's brain off sometimes. The boy got flustered every time he tried to talk to him. Fugaku sighed and tried again. "It's ok if it's tough, son. I just want to know if you're sure about this…it wouldn't be such a bad thing, if you went back to your old grade…"

Sasuke blanched at the thought. He panicked a little, nervousness and guilt tearing at him. "No, Otou-san, I'm fine. I'll do well. I promise…I won't get distracted…"

Fugaku gave up. Sasuke always panicked when it was about school. Once that happened, nothing Fugaku said would get through and everything would be read as disappointment. If this went on, the boy would break under the pressure. He made his face blank and gave Sasuke, what he thought his son wanted. "Well son, you've always done me proud. If you think you can manage, then I'm sure you'll do fine. Don't disappoint me…I'll hand you the company one day…"

He nodded at his father. "I won't." But somehow, today, it seemed a farce. Only the disappointment bit at him. He had disappointed his father. Naruto had stood him up and chosen Sakura. The two most important people in his short life had just shown him how valued he was and he ached inside because he believed he didn't really mean anything. His mother hugged him close at the foot of the stairs to his room.

"I love you son. Just do what you want, think is right and be happy…"

He nodded, but couldn't lift his spirits. He left his room dark as he changed, managing with the light from the street lamp outside. Then he snuggled under the blankets and tried to sleep. This time, sleep was far away. It seemed like half hour later, when the door opened and someone walked in. A few minutes later the bed covers were pushed back and someone slid in next to him. Two arms wound around him and he was hugged.

"Sasu-nii, I'm sorry. Sakura's mom made us all leave our phones behind. Then she forced me to stay to dinner…I'm really sorry." Naruto tried to turn the older boy over.

Sasuke stayed where he was. He asked the only question he could think of. "Why couldn't you tell her you had to make a phone call? One phone call…"

He felt Naruto shift and felt the blond's head drop down. "I was worried for a bit and then…" Naruto had been brought up to be truthful. "Well we began playing games and then…I'm sorry, I forgot. When I remembered, it was already 6.30 and I thought you'd have gone home."

Sasuke had too much pride to tell the boy that he'd waited for much longer than that. He grunted, but stayed where he was. It took Naruto another ten minutes of pleading and apologising to get Sasuke to turn around. The moment he'd turned around, Naruto had burrowed into his arms and snuggled close, murmuring apologies.

Sasuke had forgiven him as always and the boys lay together, until Naruto fell asleep. Sasuke, filled with hurt and betrayal, looked down at the sleeping form. He took in those small perfect lips and suddenly felt how perfectly Naruto fit in his arms. Realisation crashed down on him like a boulder. He wasn't just dependant on Naruto. It wasn't just understanding he wanted…

Puberty had begun a year back. The feelings that came with it had set on Naruto in midst of his competition with Sakura. Sasuke knew now…it wasn't even just attraction; it was purer than that. He wanted to protect the little boy, see him smile, make him happy and he'd do anything to make Naruto happy. He could fall in love with this bundle of sunshine. Sasuke stiffened. _My god, he's my little brother…not related by blood but still…_Sasuke was scared out of his wits. Then came the fact that Naruto had _forgotten_ about him. The whole two years that Sasuke had known the boy, he'd never forgotten about Naruto. Not once. He felt like he was the weak one. Like he was pathetic for caring so much about Naruto, when that care wasn't returned. He slipped a little away from Naruto…and then fell headlong into the Uchiha habit of denial.

He padded to the bathroom and washed his face. Then he looked at himself in mirror. "You don't love him. You're just getting too dependent on him…" Sasuke inhaled deeply, before exhaling with the same slow speed. "Cut him off…you don't need him. You don't need _this_…"

He thought about his father's disappointment, Naruto forgetting about him, all his teachers, his classmates and he made up his mind. He was going to start living for himself. For Sasuke. He was going to excel because _he_ wanted it, he was going to work towards becoming an architect and he was going to get into the best university on scholarship _by himself_. For _himself_. Stepping out he slipped out to Naruto's room and got into the bed there. He was done with this.

**-Flashback End-**

* * *

><p>Sasuke drove into the parking lot and pulled into his spot. He turned off the music player and checked that all the windows were closed. As he got out, he wondered whether they should get take out or not. Sasuke was feeling a little tired, since he'd had to work at home as well yesterday, which had resulted in an all-nighter, which was why he'd come home much earlier than usual. He whistled softly and headed towards the elevator. Inside he leaned against the cool metal and kept his thoughts on mundane things like what he'd like to eat, his favourite music, some gossip that his secretary had blessed him with and such like.<p>

The elevator doors pinged open and Sasuke made his way to his door, unlocking it. He saw no one in the living room and assumed that Naruto was upstairs in his room. Sasuke shut the door and began walking up the stairs, in the corridor at the top he bumped into someone, almost falling back down the stairs.

A soft gasp sounded and Sasuke caught the person to steady them. He found himself looking at a school girl with short dark hair. Her clothes were mussed and half buttoned, her hair messed up and her hand was curled around a pair of panties. It took a few minutes to register the whole thing and then Sasuke saw red. He shoved the girl aside and took big strides towards his foster brother's room. The sight made him stop.

Naruto has his eyes closed has he lay in the crumpled bedding. The tan, gold and gorgeous body was stretched out on the sheets, glistening with sweat and a sliver of the white bed sheet was all that protected his modesty. The room smelt of musk and sex. Sasuke could not stop his eyes from dragging up the lean lines of the beautiful torso in front of him. Then he realised exactly why Naruto looked like this and the rage churned his guts even more.

In the meanwhile, Naruto was in his bed. He was feeling sort of sated, the sex hadn't been that great. He heard the sound of feet and the door slammed. He groaned, the girl could have left quietly, just in case the people living downstairs complained to Sasuke. He stretched and decided he should clean up before the bastard got home. He opened his eyes only to have them focus on Sasuke, the man's dark eyes snapping in unadulterated fury in his too pale face.

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><p><strong>AN: Please review and let me know what you think about the plot and characters. I love reading your views and hearing your advise, which I might take if it agrees with the plot. I love you all for your love and support! **

**Thank you!**

**Taka**


	4. Stumble on

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. Just went from a night shift job to a day shift. Was in and out of hospital since my gran was sick. Fell in and out of love. Broke someone's heart. Got mine broke…in short real life swamped me. But I hope this chapter makes up for it.**

**Everyone who reviewed, THANK YOU! It really helped me keep going in these 'dark times' lol! Huggles.**

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><p>Chapter 4:<p>

Naruto was wondering how to play this. He thought about making a break for the bathroom but his instincts were telling him not to move even a muscle, Sasuke seemed like a predator just waiting for him to make a move so he could pounce. The staring match continued for a while, each man unwilling to give in and so forced to look at each other, facing the thoughts they were having for each other.

Sasuke's peripheral vision, despite his eyes not straying from the younger man's face was giving him quite a good view of Naruto's scrumptious torso. Contradicting urges reared within him, one wanting to punch the lights out of the boy and the other wanting to touch him. Sasuke brain used the time standing still to quickly calculate which reaction would be more beneficial and less dangerous. Then…Naruto _moved_.

Naruto had also made quick calculations and concluded that the staring match was going nowhere, he hadn't done anything horrendous enough to merit Sasuke's present rage and most of all he wanted to get clothed. So he languidly slid out of bed, keeping the sheets wrapped around him as he made his way to the dresser. At some point along the way, he found himself lifted off his feet and harshly slammed into the floor below. Naruto swore, the stupid bastard had actually _pounced_…which would have funny if it hadn't hurt like the devil.

Sasuke was trying to stop himself from short circuiting as his hands came in contact with Naruto's flawless caramel shoulders, the smooth skin giving him a rather slippery grip. It brought to mind why Naruto wasn't wearing anything and what he had been doing in order to get slippery. So Sasuke did the only thing he could think of. He punched him.

Naruto's head snapped to the right, the punch to his jaw making him see stars. But all his training didn't go to waste, since he was able to get himself together enough to throw the brunet off him and get to his feet. He rubbed his jaw a little and then turned to regard his foster brother and the fury-filled black eyes.

"What the heck was that for?"

Sasuke almost snarled before getting a grip on himself. His sanity was slowly seeping back into him and for the life of him; he couldn't find a plausible answer. Which brother would punch his sibling for having sex? They would actually do the opposite. He opted to deflect the question. "Is she your girlfriend?"

Naruto raised his eyebrow, cool blue eyes not wavering from Sasuke's angry ones. "No. But why would it matter?"

"Of course it matters…this is my house, I have a right to know if you're bringing your entire harem in here. You could have told me…what now? You go from suicidal freak to playboy?" Sasuke righted one of the chairs he'd toppled as he pounced and sat down on it. "I'm supposed to be making sure you're well adjusted and normal! You go from one fucking extreme to another! I mean you're only seventeen for crying out loud!"

Naruto's face had gone tight and the blue eyes weren't cool any longer. "Hypocrite. You lost your virginity to Kiba when you were my age!" he revelled in the shock that swamped Sasuke's features. "You think I don't know? You should learn to keep your door closed."

"No one was home!"

Naruto grinned, a bitter edge to it. "I was. If you'd only bothered to check before he went at you like a bitch in heat…" the blond smirked. "Well, I never thought Kiba would let you top…"

They looked at each other for a while and then Sasuke stood up. "You're grounded for the rest of the week…"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I'm not Sasuke." Then gripped by one final act of madness, the scenes of Sasuke and Kiba playing in his mind stoking his anger, he walked right up to his foster brother, noting the pale, firm jaw and those beautiful pissed off eyes and put his face up close. "My sex life is my own and none of your business." He was pleased at the grimace that tugged at those perfect lips; he had Sasuke's complete attention. "Unless, you want it to be…"

Naruto kissed him.

It was a short, _stupid_ act of madness. The moment the blond's lips touched Sasuke's; it was like electricity surging through the two of them. Sasuke's lips moved of their own accord, captured Naruto's and kissing him fully for a few seconds before his brain tapped him on the shoulder, sucker punched him and bound him in the chains of sobriety.

Naruto, for the second time in the evening, found himself on the floor; he was looking up into Sasuke's wide and terrified eyes, before the brunet was gone accompanied by the sound of the door slamming shut in the opposite room. The blond sat still for a few minutes in utter silence before letting his eyes slip closed and lying back on the floor, mind swamped in memories.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback:<strong>

It wasn't that Sasuke's door wasn't closed…but that Naruto had been in the room that day. Sasuke had finally come home for summer, but only because Itachi had kidnapped him and forced him to. As per the norm for the last four years, Sasuke had taken little to no notice of his youngest brother; it had worsened after he left home it seemed. At least when he lived in the same house, he'd had to give Naruto _some_ attention. He would be turning eighteen in five days.

Eighteen…the big one. Naruto was excited. A major part of his life was focused on getting back into Sasuke's good graces, though he didn't have any idea why he wasn't in them in the first place. No one was home. He decided that he could sneak into Sasuke's room and look around to see if he could find something which could give him a clue on what to get his Sasu-nii for his birthday.

Sasuke's room was not too different from before, if more sterile. His closet, at a right angle to the bed was open, with a suitcase half way inside and clothes falling out of it. Naruto spent a good hour looking at everything in the room, still completely clueless. Yes, Sasuke's sketchbook was almost finished, but Naruto had gotten him one last year. He'd found out that Sasuke's martial arts Gi was torn, but then again he didn't know if Mikoto was taking care of that. He sighed, his older brother was way too impersonal…there was nothing worth looking at here. Nothing that said screamed 'Sasuke' except for his lingering scent over everything there. Finally Naruto headed to the suitcase and carefully began going through its contents.

There were clothes, final year text books; drawings…Naruto thought he might give up. Finally he came across a medium sized album covered in handmade paper. There was a note with it.

_Sasuke, _

_I hope this helps you remember us and all the fun times. Fill it with new pictures from college and vacations too! _

_Ino_

Naruto turned the pages and found the pictures were mostly of Sasuke, Kiba, Ino and Neji. There random ones from college and many more from the last three vacations he'd come back home for. Each picture was neatly caption with date, location and a one-liner.

Naruto didn't even realise he had sat down on Sasuke's bed as he cradled the open album. He slowly looked through all the pictures one by one, some taken by friends at college and some here. A strong feeling of longing gripped him as he saw one or two pictures of Sasuke laughing; he wished he could have been a part of it, like before. He really missed Sasuke. His fingers traced the smile in one picture at a café…

Suddenly he heard voices. They were close and getting closer very quickly. Naruto grabbed the album and bolted into the closet, pulling the suitcase in with him and closing the doors as much as possible, which left a sliver for him to see through.

Sasuke walked in followed by Kiba. The scruffier brunet shut the door behind him and looked at Sasuke with his eyebrow raised and a small smile on his lips. The raven smiled back and shook his head.

"Is that all you're thinking of Kiba?"

Kiba walked up to the bed and threw himself on it, grinning suggestively. "Well we did go buy those rubbers. Did you just want to keep them in your wallet to stare at?"

Sasuke laughed out loud looking particularly delectable in that sleeveless wife beater. He walked up to the bed and climbed on knees between Kiba's legs, lying on top of the brunet. He bent down to slowly kiss him. The kiss stretched on for a long while, neither of the boys aware of the intruder sitting wide-eyed in the closet.

It was the first time Naruto had seen Sasuke kiss anyone. Though for some reason, it hurt unbearably that Sasuke was kissing Kiba, Naruto couldn't help but be transfigured by the way that perfect jaw moved into the kiss or that strong, lean body moving over Kiba's. The blond's eyes trailed over the way Kiba's hands slid over Sasuke, pulling up the wife beater and getting it off. More clothes followed the wife beater and both boys really got into their little activity of cherry-popping.

Naruto clutched at the door in some confusion, knowing he should either find a way out or not look, but he couldn't help it. Puberty had come a tad early and Sasuke really was a treat. The blond bit his lip and ended up watching the whole show. At least, he preserved his dignity by not jacking off in his foster brother's closet while watching said brother lose his virginity to some low-class dog boy.

It wouldn't be enough to state that Naruto _hated_ Kiba now. The same Kiba who had always seemed like a rival. When Sasuke had cast him off, Naruto had tried to shake the niggling feeling that he had lost to Kiba. Now he truly had.

The two boys on the bed lay entwined and sated in a state of sleepy bliss. Kiba ran his hands lightly over Sasuke and smiled. "That was awesome…"

Sasuke only smiled and kissed his boyfriend languidly before snuggling closer and closing his eyes. Within minutes both the boys were asleep. Naruto slowly and painfully tiptoed out of the room, thanking his stars that neither woke up.

Kiba watched the figure stealthily make a get-away before pulling his sleeping boyfriend closer. He gave a tiny smirk…seems the brat had learned who Sasuke belonged to.

In his own room, Naruto battled with the many thoughts and feelings swirling in his head. The scenes would haunt him for almost every night from then on…regardless of how his feelings for Sasuke would change after the death of his parents.

**Flashback ends**

* * *

><p>Uchiha's had a place in their heads where they could lock up all their little secrets and transgressions while they continued through life with their impassive masks firmly on. Unfortunately for Sasuke the lock to that particular compartment of his brain seemed stuck. Stuck on replaying that kiss again and again.<p>

It showed him just how much he'd wanted to do that all his life. Now that he'd gotten one taste of it, it seemed like his own mind would torture him with it. He sighed. It had been a week since then and Naruto had hung around him (generally in his boxers, on fortunate days with a t-shirt) trying to tempt him. The problem for Sasuke was that though he knew what the blond was doing, it was taking a mountain load of self control to pretend nothing was happening. He knew his impassive mask was cracking immensely. But what he really had trouble understanding was why the blond would go to such lengths just to be rebellious? Did he have to go this far just to show Sasuke that he could do whatever he wanted?

He wondered whether he should go home. Naruto was still bringing back girls, only now they seemed to stay until he got home, even if he got home by midnight. Sasuke was treated to all kinds of scenes, sexual and not. He decided he wouldn't go home for now, he hadn't been out in a long while. Naruto would probably not be able to make his date spend the night…hopefully.

He called Ino. He missed going with her and Neji to some club or pub and just whiling time away. The blonde agreed much to Sasuke's relief. But then the relief turned into horror when they ended up meeting Kiba and his bride there, so what was supposed to be a relaxing night out with a friend, turned into something awkward. The whole thing resulted in Sasuke drinking way too much, past the mellow drunk Sasuke to the heavy dead-weight Sasuke…

Ino sighed and adjusted her grip on the raven who was extremely heavy. Sasuke had retired into a drunken vegetative state, punctuated by rare moments of coherency, before slipping back into it which would have been excellent if she didn't have to lug him up to his penthouse. She had refused help from the staff at the ground floor and managed to get him into the elevator. It was easier to keep him propped up in the elevator but the doors pinged open onto the garden in front of this penthouse door.

She grabbed him and half-dragged him to the door. She propped him up next to the door and slipped both hands into his pockets, looking for his key when he suddenly called her name and his arms came up to rest on her shoulders.

Things seemed to swim every time he opened his eyes. As he called Ino's name and she looked up at him questioningly, her blue eyes took on a slightly deeper colour…the kiss replayed and a really-out-of-it Sasuke leaned down to capture her lips in kiss.

Ino was completely taken off guard and swept away by the wave of familiarity in his kiss. It took her a few seconds to come to her senses and pull away. She turned to the right as she did so, only to see that the door was open and two chips of extremely blue ice were glaring at her. Sasuke chose that particular moment to look at their observer and say "Naru!" quite happily before slumping forward on top of her, back in his vegetative state.

Ino wished she could beat him. "Oh hey Naruto-kun…I was just looking for this moron's keys…." She retracted her hands and hauled Sasuke up again. Something about the way Naruto was looking at her had her on the defensive, so she didn't ask him for help.

Instead she dragged Sasuke into the house, turned right and then proceeded up the few stairs before dragging the man into his room. At her back a cold aura followed as she proceeded. She laid Sasuke on the bed and deftly unbuttoned his shirt. She'd seen everything when they were dating anyway and Neji trusted her.

Turning to the dresser she pulled out his sleep shirt and slipped it on him. Then she undid his pants and pulled them off unceremoniously. Feeling Naruto's eyes on the back of her head, she did a few added things like putting his belt in the closet, his pants in the laundry basket, tucked him in and laid out two aspirin as well as a glass of water on his bedside table, before she turned to acknowledge the sunshine haired teenager.

One look at Naruto's face and Ino saw how it was. Well, well…a scheme popped into her head. She smiled at the boy and stepped out of the room forcing him to move aside before shutting the door behind her. "I'll be off then, be careful he gets really grumpy the morning after…"

She made it half-way through the living room before the questioned stopped her in her tracks.

"Are you guys dating?"

Ino had been expecting that. "We were." She deliberately left the future vague for the boy and left after a short goodbye.

Naruto stood for sometime before moving to Sasuke's room and opening the door defiantly. He stared at the dark haired figure in the bed, thinking back to the album he'd found all those years back…when had Sasuke and Ino dated? He frowned bothered by the fact that he was bothered by the thought of them as couple. He'd started out teasing Sasuke and tempting him for the sake of amusement, but now it seemed he really wanted Sasuke…well he'd always wanted Sasuke since the day he saw Sasuke and Kiba…but now he _really_ wanted Sasuke and wanted to do something about it.

He walked up to the bed and found himself sitting down beside the dark haired man. When Sasuke slept, he still looked the same as when Naruto used to cuddle up next to him, just like those memories of a young caring Sasuke. He reached out, placing on hand firmly where Sasuke's bare chest peeked out from the spot where Ino hadn't done up all the buttons. He let his fingers trail down the smooth pale skin, before moving up to the man's throat.

Sasuke was helpless and drunk. A small, bad and dark part of Naruto urged him to just tighten his hold. Strangle the man and escort his life to heaven…but the larger part of him won the majority vote and Naruto's head dipped to slowly brush his lips against the older man's. Sasuke's lips were soft and he stirred as he was kissed softly.

The movement thrust reality, albeit hazily, upon the young blond, who moved away quickly towards the door. Turning he looked at Sasuke's sleeping form once more, before he backed away from the door. The jealousy he felt every time he thought of Ino perturbed him.

He sighed. He wanted Sasuke, but then he knew it bothered Sasuke when he was with someone else. He smirked, a perfect revenge plan forming in his head. With Naruto, horsing around was one thing…but now that he was serious things were going to get worse. The sleeping man had no idea what he was going to be in for in the coming days…

* * *

><p>Naruto's fingers deftly turned the locker's knob this way and that, hardly paying attention to the combination before the locker door popped open. As usual, a large number of love letters which had been pushed through the slots came tumbling out, some falling to the floor and others just sitting in a teetering pile.<p>

The blond sighed and bent down to pick them all up. He was never able to just get his things and dash to his class, since there was always a pile blocking his attempts. To his right, Shikamaru let out an appreciative whistle. The bored boy was leaning against the other lockers waiting for Naruto to get his geography book so they could get started on a term project. It was a little after school and they'd decided to stay back and work for an hour before Naruto met his latest fling.

Naruto shook his head, a part of him wondering how shallow people could be. They all knew he wasn't interested in dating, but they still just wanted him…just to be able to boast that they'd been with him too…like he was the latest trend. Finally he found his book and dropped a bunch of the letters in the trash. A few gasps sounded from the students milling around him. He did this everyday but it never stopped.

Shutting his locker, he turned around and his eyes met the most startling green eyes he had ever seen. The sexiest redhead he had ever laid eyes on was standing in front of him. He had a red kanji for 'Ai' tattooed on his forehead and his eyebrows had been shaved off, but he was still utterly delectable.

Naruto gave the boy an uncertain smile. "Hey…"

The shorter boy smirked. "Hey." His voice was deep and close to what Sasuke sounded like. The smirk reminded Naruto of Sasuke too.

The blond shoved Sasuke out of his mind and tried to go around the boy, but the boy didn't budge. He did nothing to move out of the way, which irritated Naruto a little. He didn't want to be late and if this kid had nothing better to say than 'hey', then Naruto wanted to leave…no matter how good looking he was. He moved to slide past the boy, but an arm shot out and blocked his way. The redhead's smirk only widened when he saw annoyance colour the other boy's face.

Naruto frowned. "You got a problem with me?"

The green eyed boy smiled at that and walked right up to Naruto, body to body, his lips close to Naruto's ear. "Yeah…you feel this? That's my problem…"

Naruto's eyes widened at the obvious hard-on the tattooed boy was sporting. He took a step back, but it resulted in the redhead taking a step forward until Naruto was backed into the locker. Green eyes watched him in amusement before the boy went up on his toes a little and caught Naruto's lips in a searing kiss.

Naruto was a little surprised, but he was not to be outdone. Oblivious to where he was, he swung the redhead against the locker and gave the boy another kiss, this time deep and dominant. Then he pulled back and smirked into those slightly dazed eyes before softly saying, "What if I could help you get rid of your problem?"

Gaara blinked and then gave a slow sexy grin. "Interesting. But I don't do one time things…"

Naruto looked at the male in his arms, taking him in fully. "Well…it needn't be a onetime thing…but as of now, I don't do relationships…" He stepped away, heading towards his class, when he stopped and looked over his shoulder, eyes full of lust. "But you're welcome to try changing my mind…"

The red head gave him a long stare. "My name's Gaara…I'll wait for you out front…"

Gaara turned out to be all that Naruto had hoped for. They ended up being friends with benefits. When he felt like it, Naruto took home girls, but sex with Gaara was amazing, so he usually stuck to that. What he didn't tell Gaara was that he sometimes closed his eyes and couldn't help but imagine Sasuke holding him. Naruto had somehow kept Sasuke from Gaara and vice-versa. Gaara knew nothing of his past or Uchiha heritage, since they had completely different classes and Naruto had made sure that news of his Uchiha side didn't leave the classroom…for personal reasons.

But the day Sasuke met Gaara was crazy…all it led to was more confusion.

* * *

><p>Itachi put the phone down, feeling ultra-tired. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed either side of his forehead softly, trying to will away the onset of a headache that would only worsen as he stared at his computer or read more files. He missed Kyuubi and his brothers, suddenly wanting everyone around and wanting to just kick off his uppity quality leather shoes to rest.<p>

Itachi met his brothers quite regularly over the weekends, making sure nothing interfered in his family time. This week though, he was brokering a deal that would solve all the company's problems while catapulting them to an international level. The partners had opted for the meeting to be on the weekend, for two full days.

Itachi sighed. He missed the times when he'd gotten free time and didn't have to work like a hobby-horse. Who knew his father would leave the company in such an awful state?  
>He decided he would see his brothers today. It was a Wednesday, but what the hell? He'd ask his secretary to move up all his meetings, go kidnap Sasuke from work and then head to Sasuke's home early to wait for Naruto to return. Maybe Kyuubi could join them too? He smiled to himself and proceeded to do exactly what he'd planned.<p>

Sasuke had just finished a meeting. He was somewhat happy that the blond hadn't crossed his mind through the whole thing that he had been able to concentrate and go back to what he used to be for a while.

He even did an un-Uchiha thing and whistled to himself as he headed to the elevator, intending to go to his office. Suddenly a weight fell onto his shoulders in the form of an arm. Sasuke found himself looking into dark eyes that mirrored his, as his brother forcefully steered him toward the elevator and then pressed the button for the basement.  
>"What do you think you're doing here?" Sasuke squawked trying to reach the elevator's 'reset' button, only to have his hands powerfully batted away by his crazy older brother.<p>

As the doors pinged open, Itachi caught his little brother by the scruff of his neck, hauling him off to his red and black sports car and throwing him in.

Then Itachi quickly jumped into the driver's seat, happy when the car revved right away, allowing him to breeze out of the building even before Sasuke had the chance to recover from his 'abduction'.

Which he did as they sped out of the building causing a few screeching tyres and getting a few curses for all their trouble.

"Have you gone mad? What are you doing, Aniki?"

Itachi gave him the Uchiha TM smirk. "Kidnapping you."

Sasuke looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "Have you lost your mind?"

Itachi's expression turned contemplative for just one second before he shook his head. "Nope. I'm blowing off stress..."

The younger man blinked in confusion. "You're Uchiha Itachi...you don't get stressed, nor do you blow off meetings or kidnap your younger brother preventing him from going to his meetings..."

Itachi frowned a little. "What are you trying to say?"

"Where is my real brother? What have you done with him?"

Itachi laughed. "Sasuke, Uchiha's are allowed to lose their minds one in a while. I saw it in grandfather's rule book."

Sasuke took that in a little. As amusing as it was, the Uchiha's did have a 'Uchiha Rule Book' where their strict and arrogant grandfather had penned down rules for how he thought an Uchiha had behaved and if it was down there, then maybe it was okay.

He shrugged. "If you say so..." He pulled out his phone and called his PA to inform him that something important had come up and that he wouldn't be available for the rest of the day.

The two Uchihas drove in a pleased silence; they were each happy that their days had taken an enjoyable turn and were looking forward to having a fun evening with family.  
>Sasuke checked his watch.<p>

It was still only three; Naruto would only be home by five. Sasuke smiled. Things with Naruto had gotten to the point where they just couldn't have a normal conversation anymore... as much as he hated to admit it, Itachi being there would help. Itachi's presence was the only thing that made the two talk to each other anymore.

They stopped to pick up groceries, all of Naruto's favourite things. Itachi had wheedled a promise that Sasuke would make his famous ramen, which Naruto had really loved the only time he'd tasted it a few years back. Sasuke had grudgingly consented, secretly hoping that it would make things okay between them and futilely wishing that they could go back to being brothers like before.

They made small talk about the last week till they reached Sasuke's home, Sasuke leaving out important bits like how Naruto had kissed him, just sticking to his deal with Ino's father and such like. Itachi approved of it and went on to fill the younger Uchiha on his own deal and why his weekend visit had suddenly been pushed up. Itachi helped Sasuke lug the numerous groceries they had bought.

"So Naruto will be back in two hours? You'd better have the ramen ready, foolish little brother. Things between the two of you should sort itself out." Itachi smirked when he saw some shock colour his brother's blank mask of a face. "You haven't mentioned the boy unless absolutely necessary. I know things."

Sasuke spluttered, but kept his cool. "You do, do you oh omnipotent one?" He pretended to trip and jabbed Itachi in the ribs as they made their way to the door. He managed to unlock the door by slipping the grocery bags further up his arm. He gave his brother a small smile as the door opened to strange noises. Sasuke turned to step in and froze in the doorway for the second time in two weeks.

Naruto was lying on his back on the couch, naked, eyes tightly shut, while a pale red-headed boy rode him. They made the perfect picture of lust, as quiet moans and growl coloured the air around them. Naruto's tan body pumping frantically into the pale one that bounced atop him, their hands tangled as their mouths did when the red head leaned close enough.

It was the sound of the grocery bags hitting the ground with a loud crackle that brought the boys on the couch back to the present world. Blue eyes shot open meeting two sets of black this time. Gaara turned his startling green eyes on the two Uchihas before clambering off Naruto and grabbing at his pants hurriedly.

Emotions boiled up in Sasuke again, but this time, the roiling seemed to peak and something gave. It felt like all his feelings had just drained out leaving just a fleeting shadow.

Naruto hastily shucked on his pants waiting for the inevitable eruption that would surely follow. For some reason Sasuke was standing still like a statue, but not still like he was poised to move; his eyes weren't snapping or anything like the last time. When the raven moved (Naruto flinched as he did), it was only to pick up the grocery bags and begin walking to the kitchen.

He paused when he reached Gaara and then greeted him with a short nod. "Gaara." Then he continued on.

But the red head wasn't about to let it go at that. "Sasuke! What are you doing here?"

The raven placed the grocery bags on the counter quite calmly. "I live here. You didn't know I was Naruto's foster brother?"

Green eyes widened, before the boy spun to face Naruto. "He's your brother?" Not giving Naruto a chance to answer, he turned back to Sasuke, everyone ignoring Itachi still standing at the door. "Please don't tell my father…I…I haven't told him…I mean…"

Sasuke cut him off with a quick shake of his head, his features still calm. "I won't tell him anything." Then he looked up at Naruto, his voice utterly wiped of any feeling. "You boys should just get a room next time. It saves us all this fuss. Itachi?" He looked expectantly at his brother.

Itachi suddenly frowned, annoyed. "Am I missing something? We just walked in on Naruto skipping school and having _sex_ on your _couch_…and all you're going to say is _get a room_? What happened to the whole 'I'll be responsible' statement?"

Sasuke sighed in resignation, the air being forced out his nostrils. "I'm too used to this. And it's none of my business who Naruto wants to do." Onyx eyes met sapphires ones, before sliding to Itachi. "I can't be responsible for that. Let it go."

Naruto was never one to sit by quietly when people talked about him like he wasn't there. "Damn right it isn't your business. What I'd like to know is how the fuck you know Gaara…" _And why was I not aware of this?_

"I do business with Gaara's father. His brother Kankuro and I attended university together."

Naruto's breath suddenly caught in his throat. He'd been messing around with Gaara, using him because he really wanted Sasuke…and now it turned out that they knew each other. Suddenly, he didn't know why, he felt like a tool. Using Gaara hadn't been a problem, but now that Sasuke knew about it…Naruto tried to stop that thought. He'd brought women home all the time…Sasuke should have been jealous…right? So why was he acting all calm? The blond wished the other two men would just disappear, so he could provoke a reaction out of Sasuke. The young Uchiha's reaction had just pulled the carpet out from under Naruto.

Itachi glared at all of them for a bit. He was upset that he wasn't in on whatever was going on here. But then he reasoned with himself. Naruto was a teenager and things like this were bound to happen. So he forced himself to relax and gave a small smirk.

"So boys going to get some clothes on or are you just hanging around trying and failing to be eye candy?"

Naruto let out a disgusted yelp. "Ew…Itachi-nii….you perv!

They did get dressed, Sasuke did make ramen, Itachi did get them to talk normally, Gaara did end up staying for dinner, Kyuubi did end up joining them and then they all finally left. Itachi and Kyuubi giving Gaara a lift home.

God they'd finally left…

Sasuke walked into his room and firmly shut the door behind him. He found himself moving towards his couch to just collapse on it. Somehow it was an effort to breathe. He took another drag of oxygen into his lungs, feeling them reluctantly expand. He concentrated on his breathing till he was ready to go over the day in his head.

_Stupid…_

He had been stupid. He'd thought he was over Naruto…that somehow things would go back to normal and he'd let his guard down. He'd gone to the boy when he'd had a nightmare; he'd cooked for the boy, been there giving him company when he couldn't sleep…enough. He wasn't aware that he was growling the word in a low voice over and over again. Now it felt like Naruto had him on a leash…to play whenever he felt like it.

Today, he was too tired to feel any of it. The anger, the frustration, the pain, the jealousy…Sasuke lay back on the couch, letting it all wash away. The blond had paraded around tempting him, bringing girls home and all that. So why had he hidden Gaara? Did Gaara mean that much? Was Gaara the boyfriend? Then Naruto had been playing him. Sasuke decided he would just pretend things were normal and get a life apart from the blond and his shit.

He closed his eyes and lay there, his exhausted self setting him adrift into sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback:<strong>

It had been two weeks since the time Naruto had forgotten about Sasuke and stayed at Sakura's party. While things were perfectly fine, it felt like the older boy was drifting away from him, little by little. Naruto told himself it was just the guilt talking…that he was the one building a barrier because he had no idea how to make it up to Sasuke.

He couldn't wait for the lunch bell; he was literally dying to see Sasuke. Somehow after that incident his desperation had increased tenfold. He couldn't help but want to be by Sasuke, dote on Sasuke and spend time with him. Once or twice Sakura had come with him too, but Sasuke just seemed to become blank or get annoyed. He wondered if Sasuke really did dislike Sakura…

The bell sounded and Naruto hurriedly packed his things. He and Sasuke were always given packed lunches by Mikoto so he didn't have to head over to the cafeteria and could go straight to where Sasuke was. He leaped up and ran towards the high school grounds. He could see him. He smiled and heard footsteps behind him and saw Sakura with Temujin, another boy who hung with them, trying to catch up to him in the distance.

Sasuke was sitting under a large tree surrounded by kids from different age groups. Some of his old friends from the tenth grade, new additions like Ino and a boy called Kimimaro were all gathered around him. Sometimes Naruto felt awe when he saw his foster brother with his friends. Sasuke was like the glue that kept all the different people from different grades together. Though with these people, Sasuke was usually emotionless, quiet and sometimes a tad arrogant. He also refused to admit that Sasuke was mean. He was only mean to other people.

He ran up to Sasuke, a wide smile on his face and plopped down next to the boy…a spot that Sasuke's friends usually reserved just for him. Every one greeted him with friendly hellos and asked him what was up, like he was a part of this big group of older kids. But Sasuke seemed quiet…his greeting being restricted to a nod instead of the usual hello.

Warning bells should have gone off in Naruto's head but he was too caught up in looking at his raven and trying to update him on everything to really notice the change in Sasuke's demeanour. "So, then Ebisu-sensei said that my project was better than everyone else's and that my art was really good…aren't you proud Sasu-nii? You're an amazing teacher and I told him you…"

"Your friends are here…" Sasuke suddenly interrupted the boy rudely, his voice void of all emotions.

Naruto looked up to see Sakura and Temujin, a smile lighting up his face. "Hey!" Then he turned back to Sasuke and picked up where he left off only to be interrupted again.

"Don't you have anything to do right now?"

Naruto blinked. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"I asked if you had anything to do right now," Sasuke turned a pair of bored onyx eyes on the eight-year old. "Apart from talking to me."

Naruto frowned in confusion. "What do you mean, Sasu-nii? I always talk to you around this time."

"Yes I know. I'm finding it quite boring. Before you came along, Kimimaro and I were having a pretty interesting conversation." Sasuke sighed. "Don't you have any friends of your own?"

Hurt clouded the usually bright blue eyes. "Nii-san, you're being mean. What's wrong with you today?"

Sasuke heaved another sigh and turned away to talk to Kimimaro leaving Naruto looking at him hurt and puzzled. He hated being ignored and he couldn't for the life of him understand why Sasuke would suddenly get mad when he'd been the one encouraging Naruto to come here every day for the whole year. He got a little mad.

"You're the one who said you like me being here!" He was only eight years old and quite capable of being loud or throwing a tantrum when he felt thwarted.

Sasuke turned to him, black eyes showing the faintest signs of annoyance. "Yes I did. But now I want to spend time with _my_ friends and your presence is irritating me. Go play with your own friends, be a little independent!"

It was humiliating to suddenly be treated like an annoying little kid in front of half the high school population, not to mention Temujin and Sakura. He couldn't help it, he was really mad. "You usually hate it when I don't spend time with you! You got so angry when I went to Sakura's party…it was almost like you were jealous or something…"

"Enough." Sasuke face was still a blank mask, but Naruto could see the anger brimming in his eyes. "Seriously, I've had two whole years of this! I felt sorry for the orphan little boy my parents took in and thought I'd help you adjust. I also thought we could be friends…but you're seriously annoying me! I'm five years older than you, I have my own friends and you should go hang with yours instead running after me like a little tail!"

Naruto stood stock still. His wide blue eyes threatened to fill up any second. "But…" He breathed in deep. "Did I do something wrong? Is that why you're acting like this?"

Sasuke exhaled in a long suffering manner. The wide-eyed pink haired git standing behind Naruto was pissing him off too. He was constantly being reminded of his feelings for Naruto and at this moment he couldn't take it anymore. He snagged Naruto's eyes with his own. "Stop. I don't want to hang with you anymore, so just get lost okay?" _You forgot about me…_

Tears now started to fall hard, flowing down the bewildered boy's face. "Sasuke…"

It tore at Sasuke. The pain of having caused _his_ Naruto to cry threatened to kill him, which incensed him even more. "God, I _hate_ you, Naruto…" He watched the boy's blue eyes widen as much as possible. He shook his head. "You're a selfish little kid, always playing the victim. Always wanting my attention and always pressurising me to do what you want me to do! I can't handle this anymore. I've hung with you enough. I have my own life and I don't think you deserve to be such a huge part of it! Don't hang around me, okay? I really do hate you!"

With that Sasuke turned on his heel, face a blank mask and sauntered off into his building, leaving Naruto sobbing and publically humiliated; hoping all of this would help him cut off from the blond. That Naruto would hate him now and make it easier to forget him.

Unfortunately, only inexperienced teenagers believe it worked that way. Naruto wouldn't leave him alone. While, the boy didn't meet him at school anymore, he dogged the raven everywhere at home. He kept demanding to know why Sasuke hated him and why Sasuke didn't want to hang with him. Finally Sasuke'd gone to his mother and begged her to get the blond off his tail. He hadn't given her the details but just said the kid was getting annoying and the whole thing had quietened down somewhat.

Even when he was hated by Sasuke, Naruto was glad the older boy was still around. He was glad he still got to see his Sasuke. For the next one and half years, Sasuke only spoke to Naruto when he was compelled to.

When he began dating Kiba and Naruto had found out, the blond had moped for weeks, feeling like he'd been one-upped by the dog-boy. But nothing hurt like when Sasuke'd left. Naruto had gone over to Temujin's house for the day. He'd returned to see a few suitcases piled into a cab and Sasuke standing by it. His whole family was outside, Mikoto looking distraught, Itachi looking furious and Fugaku looking resigned.

Naruto had run to the cab, something sinking inside of him. "Sasu-nii! Where are you going?"

The dark haired boy had turned to look at him briefly, his foot tapping the sidewalk impatiently. "College. I got into Mangekyou University in Rice country. So I'm off."

By now the blond had reached Sasuke; he stopped in his tracks – frozen. Sasuke's eyes softened just a little bit and he reached out to ruffle Naruto's hair before turning to his family. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you. Father knew, but I wanted to make sure I got in, before I said anything, so I asked him to keep silent about it. I'll be back for the holidays…"

Mikoto grabbed him a hug. She buried her face into his neck, whispering something Naruto could catch. "Why do you hate us so much Sasuke?"

The blond's eyes widened, he watched Sasuke hug his mother back just as tightly for once. "I don't hate you…I just need to get away…"

That was it. Sasuke disentangled himself from his mother, waved goodbye and left. Naruto stood there watching still feeling the hand in his hair while his heart felt like it would chop him up from the inside.

**Flashback ends.**

* * *

><p>Enough.<p>

But the scream continued to shake him up inside; slamming at the doors of his mind and knocking the latch of his heart. It had dug its hooks into him and the raven slid reluctantly out of bed lurching towards the door. Open. Shut. Open. Shut. He was in Naruto's room.

In a practised manner, he sat down by the blond and disentangled the sheets around him, gathering him into his arms. His palms rubbed soothing patterns on the boy's back and hummed quietly. He'd found during one of these comfort sessions that humming helped. When the boy bundled in his arms stopped shaking, he made to leave.

A hand grabbed his and pulled him back onto the bed. Naruto moved closer and shoved his face back into Sasuke's chest. They sat like that for a while, before Sasuke moved away again.

"Do you want milk or anything?" he vowed he'd act normal and ignore what had happened.

"No."

"Do you want me to stay or come over to my room?"

Blue eyes widened and looked searchingly into his own. He kept his face blank. After a moment, the eyes fell. "No."

"Okay, get some sleep. I'll make pancakes for breakfast." He left, shutting the door quietly behind him, oblivious to the blazing eyes behind him.

Naruto sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his door. The moonlight filtered through the glass ceiling giving him an ethereal look. He was pissed. Sasuke was doing it again. This whole 'acting normal' thing always led to Sasuke leaving or distancing himself. He was ignoring everything that had occurred.

"I won't let you…" he growled, a small snarl decorating his firm lips. "I'll keep you. You will fall for me. You will be destroyed and hurt like you did to me. I won't let your ignore me. Just wait and see, Sasuke."

* * *

><p>The thumping beats resonated through the club. 'Byakugan' was one of the most exclusive clubs in Konoha. It was another successful venture of Neji's with his friend Deidara and Sasuke had a 'forever-pass'. He'd been coming here for the last four years, since Neji had been running this a year longer than their partnership.<p>

Everyone knew Sasuke at this club and he had many admirers. Blue eyes glared as they saw the dark haired man lounging at one of the booths surrounded by his many sycophants. Naruto was here with _his_ friends because he knew Deidara, a close friend of Itachi's. He didn't have a 'forever-pass', but he'd begged Deidara to allow him to bring his friends here that night.

Unfortunately for him, Sasuke had also ended up there. Naruto couldn't help but send glares over at the dark haired man. Sasuke had started being normal for a week before suddenly distancing himself again. Nothing Naruto did had an impact. It didn't help that Gaara thought he could come over anytime he wanted to, now that Sasuke knew.

Ino was here too. She was sitting next to Sasuke, too close, in Naruto's opinion. She was animatedly chatting with the long red haired girl with glasses who was also sitting way too close to Sasuke. A white haired boy and an orange haired man were having a conversation with the dark haired man which looked pretty intense. More people surrounded them, some just there to fawn over Sasuke. It didn't help that his foster brother hardly noticed him.

Sasuke looked incredible. He was wearing black leather pants with little chains on them and a loose dark green sleeveless Chinese collared shirt with a nice V that showed off that pale defined chest. He had a bored look on his face, like he'd like nothing better than to zone out while listening to the music. He answered the two others with what seemed like monosyllables from where Naruto was sitting.

"Earth to Naruto. You think you'll talk to us? Or will you just glare bloody murder at your brother?"

Naruto scowled at the green-eyed girl. "Sakura…why did he have to be here too?"

Sakura sighed. "It's his partner's club. Why wouldn't he be here?" then she looked over at Ino who was looking beautiful in a tight blue strapless dress. "Are they dating? Though if Sasuke was mine I wouldn't let the red head lean all over him like that…"

Naruto's scowl deepened, eyebrows drawing together and the corner of his lips drawing down. "They were." He took in the picture again. "Look at him with so many sycophants surrounding him. Like he's a god or something…"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yes and what are all these people around _you_?" she whispered. She was right; Naruto had his own little bunch of admirers sitting around trying to get his attention. In his tight blue jeans with a sexy orange and brown sweatshirt over a dark shirt, he made quite a stunning picture. He stretched making the sweat shirt ride up a little. A pale hand suddenly dropped down to trace his abs. He looked over at Gaara and realised he'd been ignoring the boy.

"Hey…"

Gaara just shook his head. "What did he do now to have you glaring at him for the last twenty minutes?"

Naruto shook his head, the blond hair flying this way and that. "Nothing." _He exists doesn't he?_

He saw Ino stand up and grab Sasuke's hand. She dragged the older boy out onto the dance floor and they began to move against each other. Naruto could hardly drag his eyes away from the picture they made. They were _perfect_. He'd never seen Sasuke dance before, but boy did he have grace. Those sinuous movements were fucking sexy!

Gaara suddenly huffed and pulled away. "I've had about enough of this. You want to dance?"

Naruto shook his head not even deigning to look away from the raven. Gaara grimaced and turned to one of the girls nearby. Naruto saw them walk away through his peripheral vision but he could care less. After a while Sakura also left to the bathroom, leaving him alone with the bunch surrounding him. Dark eyes suddenly met his as Sasuke ground up against Ino in a particularly sexy way.

Jealousy socked Naruto in the gut, making his mouth tighten. Sasuke smirked and looked away making Naruto wonder what he found so amusing. He reached out and snagged a purple haired girl by the waist, pulling her onto his lap.

"Hey there beautiful…"

The girl tittered blissfully; happy that she'd finally gotten his attention all to herself. She reached up to run her hands over his cheek before working up the nerve to kiss him. Naruto just allowed her to, busy looking at the dancing bastard who was now watching him. Naruto deepened the kiss and ran his fingers through her hair. He heard her give a little moan of satisfaction and felt mighty pleased with himself.

"What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?" growled a voice close by.

The girl suddenly scrambled off his lap looking horrified. A brown haired man in a bandana stood by him looking murderous, flanked by his equally pissed looking buddies. Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I _was_ making out…but now I'm wondering if you had a good enough reason to interrupt me."

Bandana-boy snarled. "That was my fucking girlfriend you were snogging!"

Naruto sighed. "Well I guess that's good enough." He yawned and looked up at him his blue eyes cool. "Too bad. She kissed me first, so you must have messed up somewhere, maybe you just need more practise."

"You fucking asshole!" Bandana-boy drew his fist back lightening fast. Naruto seeing about to come hurtling down at him, raised his hand to block the punch but it never came.

Looking as cool as cucumber was Sasuke, holding Bandana-boy's arm in a firm grip, while giving Naruto a slightly quizzical look. "You should really stop grabbing whatever's in front of you…you have awful taste…" The deep voice rolled over Naruto completely making him suppress a shudder.

Bandana-boy struggled futilely. "Who the fuck are you? Let me at that bastard!"

Sasuke only tightened his grip. "I'm the bastard's brother. This unfortunately obligates me to protect him. You should really keep your girl in hand don't you think? I saw her come on to him…"

At that Bandana-boy's friend suddenly lashed out, his knee almost catching Sasuke in the stomach. The raven sidestepped and swept the boy's leg out from under him. From then on, things degenerated into an all out brawl.

Naruto jumped in to help Sasuke fight, while Gaara and Sakura jumped in to protect Naruto and Ino jumped in to protect Sasuke. Sasuke shot out with the heel of his hand, neatly breaking an assaulter's nose before his knee came up into the same man's groin quite hard. He saw two men assault Naruto together and spun neatly to pull one off him. He blocked two punches and moved his hands inwards to hit the man's chest with his palms flat, sending him flying into the nearest wall.

Naruto caught Bandana-boy's punch and twisted his hand while blocking the other hand. He managed to get both the boy's hands twisted behind his back and bore him down to the ground. He also punched him twice, hard enough to leave him unconscious.

For some odd reason everyone was fighting. Anything that wasn't bolted down was flying everywhere. Though Bandana-boy and his buddies were down, many other drunken people were assaulting them. Sasuke got taken unawares by a quick punch to his jaw and Naruto had to step in with a quick kick to take down the drunk who'd done it. Sakura and Ino were holding their own quite well, so the 'good' side more like the play boy side was winning.

Sirens suddenly filled the air and panic prevailed among the brawlers. Sakura suddenly ran towards Naruto and Sasuke who were both just getting done with two more men. "You have to leave! Now!"

Sasuke scowled at being told what to do, but Ino turned up to back Sakura's order. "As much as you hate it she's right! Naruto definitely can't be found here brawling. They'll take him away from you and the court battle will have been for nothing. You're also too well known for this to end quietly. Take the back entrance by the kitchen. It'll take them awhile to get there."

Sasuke hesitated for a moment. Then he grabbed his blond foster brother's hand and took off towards the kitchens. The crowd was crazy and panicked which meant more people got in the way and the two did collect a few stray hits. Finally they made it to the entrance and burst out of it. Footsteps sounded to the right, so Sasuke made a break for the left, dragging Naruto with him. They found a small alcove in the wall and pressed up there, hoping the footsteps would continue into the kitchen. They were rewarded when the footsteps began to recede.

Then Sasuke bolted out of there and took off down the street. He was still to let go of his blond, but Naruto kept pace with him quite easily. They continued to run, two or three blocks easily zipping by them as they concentrated on getting as far away from the club as they could. Sasuke finally stopped when they reached a decent looking neighbourhood quite a way from the club. They seemed to be in an alley way between two apartments.

Sasuke leaned against the wall to catch his breath. He panted hard trying to control it and even out his breathing. Naruto was bent over, hands on his knees doing the same thing. Sweat ran down them in rivulets as they silently took their time calming down.

Naruto pulled off his orange sweatshirt and tied it loosely around his waist. _Damn…_ He looked up and caught his foster brother's eyes. They stared at one another for a bit before both their lips twitched. Sasuke's trembling lips parted in a grin following by what sounded like a laugh.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock at the sound and he stared at Sasuke like the raven had grown another head. Sasuke only cracked up harder, sinking to the ground back against the wall. He was shaking with the mirth bubbling out of him; he hadn't laughed like this in ages. Naruto couldn't help but follow once he got over the initial shock and both men collapsed into a heap, chests heaving and faces red with effort.

When they finally subsided, both sitting side by side in friendly silence, Naruto turned to look at Sasuke. The raven still had shadow of a genuine smile stretching his lips, the dark eyes still dancing with mirth and hair all mussed. God he looked beautiful…The raven turned his head to regard Naruto, his expression slowly fading away, replaced with something a little more intense.

"Naruto…"

The blond moved forward and captured his lips softly. They stayed like that for a minute, their lips just softly moving against each other. Then Sasuke's hand came up to tangle in the sunshine blond hair, pulling the younger boy forward, deepening the kiss. Their tongues meshed together running up the roofs of each other's mouths, battling for dominance and running down each other's lips.

**Lime:**

Naruto, who was on his hands and knees now, crawled up to the dark haired man without breaking the kiss. He straddled him letting his own hands slide into the inky black locks as he plundered the mouth attached to his. He sat down right on top of where Sasuke's leather pants bulged making the raven moan gutturally. Naruto smirked into the kiss and ground down hard, starting a round bump and grind as he continued with the crazily electrifying kisses.

Sasuke hand left his hair and both came down to grab his hips forcing the rhythm to increase. He was painfully hard and if the mad humping was any indication so was Naruto. Both their pants weren't made for this sort of thing.

Naruto felt the button of his jeans being undone. He hadn't even realised that Sasuke hands had left his butt. The sound of his zipper being undone had a moan freeing itself from his throat. The sound of Sasuke's being undone joined that and suddenly Naruto was free. His cock brushed up against Sasuke's making both of them clutch at each other a little more tightly and pant harshly. Sasuke sat up more and guided Naruto in position so they could rub against each other and grind each other into oblivion.

It didn't take long, both having wanted this for so long. The speed built up and soon they were awkwardly letting their lips clash in messy kisses as their seed burst forth in short spurts. Naruto crumpled on top of Sasuke, burying his face in the pale neck. Sasuke's hand came up to rest in Naruto's hair.

**Lime ends**

Both men lay there, not wanting to look at each other, scared about where things were going. One scared of the consequences and the other twisted by hate and love.

Finally Sasuke let go and got them both zipped and buttoned. Then he looked into blue eyes, his own deathly serious. "We have to stop this…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope you liked it. Please review and bring a little Sunshine to my day! :D**

**Taka**


	5. Kaleidoscope

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I just became a school teacher and I am swamped! Hope you like this! The end of the chapter was inspired by Junjou Romantica!**

Chapter 5:

The blond boy sat on the plastic chair, both feet up on it, arms hanging off the sides with a sweating beer can dangling by the tips of one hand. His lips were drawn down, companion to the slight frown gracing his pale brows. He looked like he was pondering a problem. He looked so much like him…

The brunet watched him for a while longer, wondering if he should make an appearance. He longed to tousle the blond head and wipe that frown off his face. Tell me all your problems…I'll take care of them…But it wasn't to be. Naruto would never give in so easily, never make things easier and just understand or accept the truth for what it was. He needed to be threatened and cajoled into doing things…just like him; so much like him that sometimes he wished Naruto would just die and release him from his misery.

He watched the boy take another swig of his beer and grimaced. He wanted to scream that the boy was underage and shouldn't be drinking like there was no tomorrow. Just as he finished one can, he signalled for another...the waitress seemed to hesitate, but the boy charmed her with one of his slow smiles.

He couldn't watch anymore, he couldn't keep away or fight the urge of going over. He slipped out of the shadows and made his way towards the kid, who hadn't even looked up at the sound of footsteps. He was getting complacent. The brunet manoeuvred through the tables and lifted the can right out of the blond's hands as he tried to take another swig.

"You're underage…"

Watching that young face transform from a look of lethargy into horror gave rise to conflicting feelings. It was heady to have so much power, but at the same time it was torture when all he wanted to see was affection. He continued to gaze at the boy expressionlessly, watching the blood drain from his face and his throat work to swallow. After a bit, it ceased to fascinate him and he plopped down in the chair opposite the boy. He attempted conversation.

"My, don't you look happy to see me." His mouth turned down in a frown. "Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm getting tired of repeating that time and again."

Naruto finally found his voice. "Uncle Madara…" He felt an overwhelming urge to run away. He didn't want to show anymore weakness that he already had. He forced his face into a look of nonchalance and casually placed his hands on the table though in reality it was just a conscious attempt not to fidget in front of the man.

Madara watched him with an unwavering gaze before his arm suddenly snaked out superfast to wrap around one of the blond's hands and drag it towards him. Naruto almost fell off the chair and was forced to lean forward over the table. The older man shoved back the wrist band savagely. His dark eyes took in the deep jagged scars that graced the tan skin. The chiselled jaw tightened and lips compressed into a straight line.

Naruto tensed to pull his arm away but suddenly found himself flying backwards off his chair. The waitress started forward but one look from Madara had her scurrying away. The familiar Uchiha black eyes were snapping with fury.

Naruto got to his feet and dusted himself off nonchalantly before picking up his chair and sitting down. His lips twisted into a bitter smile. "It's none of your business. I was just going through a bad time."

"You did it to escape me."

The silence that met this statement grew. There was nothing Naruto could say to that since it was partly true. He chose to look down and study the table with intense concentration. Madara was always like this…he never hid from the truth. He hadn't hidden anything the day at the hospital and he wasn't going to start now. Naruto idly wondered how far he'd get if he started running, but one glance at the Uchiha told him it would be futile.

The blond adjusted his wrist band slowly and deliberately, knowing the other man was watching him. He also fought down the numerous emotions flooding him...anger, hatred, helplessness and self-pity. He hated this man. But at the moment, he hated himself for sitting in front of the man who had taken everything from him, unable to do anything.

Madara signalled to the waitress and ordered a coffee when she came over. Then he looked at Naruto and clicked his tongue. "You're pathetic."

Blue eyes blazed, but the blond kept silent. Madara gave him a small smile. "You really are, you know. I told you that Sasuke played a part in killing your parents and you chose to live with him. I got them killed right in front of your eyes and you sit right there in front of me unable to do anything. You won't even insult me."

Naruto's hands twitched convulsively, but he kept them clenched tight. He couldn't break now. Madara was taunting him. He knew that every time he responded to Madara's taunts; the man would hurt someone close to him. He bit his lip hard.

The coffee arrived and the Uchiha said nothing more until he'd finished stirring in a teaspoon of sugar and taking a few sips. "I don't understand you. My request is not difficult. Let me be your guardian. No one will suffer. Renounce the rest of my family. Work for me. You can't tell me you weren't expecting any of this to happen."

"You murdered my family..."

"I didn't. They died of their own accord. I only murdered my dear devious brother..."

That brought a blaze of anger and incredulity. "He was my father! I loved him, he was a good man!"

The laughter that followed was sudden and looked strange on the handsome Uchiha's face. "Good? You didn't even know him!" The dark eyes suddenly went flat. "He was a controlling bastard, who thought of nothing but himself. He ruined my life, destroyed everything that was important and tortured me by dangling it in front of me when I was helpless." The dark eyes now held blue ones. "You should be grateful that I'm not my brother, he wouldn't have gone easy on you had he been in my place."

The outburst left Naruto quite speechless and before he could recover, the Uchiha was slapping some cash down on the table and standing up. The long haired man turned to look at him once more. "We have a deal. You would do well not to forget, in case I took it upon myself to hurt your precious Sasuke."

* * *

><p>Flashback:<p>

His father introduced the man as Uchiha Madara, his brother, and then left to attend to some other business. Naruto liked the look of the man who'd been so nice to him; he had long black hair that fell up to his waist and the trademark dark black eyes of the Uchiha. Naruto thought he was pretty.

Madara Ojisan had given him his old Otousan's frog. Naruto really liked the frog; it was big and easy to cuddle. But it was also small enough for Sasuke-nii to carry to Naruto's school when he dropped him off. Naruto's eyes gleamed when he thought of how envious his classmates would be. He sat down and cuddled his toy, watching Uncle Madara move slowly to sit across from him.

Up close, Naruto saw that the man looked tired. But his eyes were alive and filled with amusement. They played together for a long while. Madara was very good at memory games. He remembered everything. Naruto had even gathered 40 things and hidden them behind a newspaper barrier (so he could check as Madara recited what they were - he couldn't remember them all himself), but Madara Ojisan had guessed them all. It was really cool and Naruto liked the pleased expression on the man's face when he'd said so.

They ended up telling each other stories. Madara's were a lot nicer, but that was because Naruto kept skipping from idea to idea. But sometimes, Naruto saw that Madara looked really sad while watching him.

"Why are you sad?"

The taller man looked at him for a while before shaking his head. "No, I'm actually very happy. You're a lot of fun, Naruto-kun."

Naruto beamed at the praise and so didn't push the man's hand away when his hair was ruffled. "Have you met Sasuke, Ojisan?"

Madara smiled. "Of course, I have. I am his Ojisan, ne?"

"Then, can he play with us? I really want to show him my drawings." Naruto waited for the nod of ascent before grabbing the man's hand and dragging him off to see Sasuke who was studying in his room.

Sasuke'd remembered his uncle quite vaguely on account of his having disappeared for the last three years. But the three of them managed to create some monster game and chased each other around Sasuke's room for quite a while, before collapsing on the bed, heaving. Naruto had laughingly informed Madara of how much he liked him and Sasuke had chimed in with his own approval. They'd all been having a good time until Fugaku reappeared. Madara's smile disappeared, replaced but carefully blank look.

Fugaku sighed. "It's time to go, otouto."

Madara's turned to Naruto with a sorrowful expression and grabbed him in a hug. "Take care, Naruto-kun. I'll visit a lot okay?"

As they went out, Madara began whispering something to Fugaku. The two boys clearly heard Fugaku's angry tone. "You're not fit to. Minato didn't want it. Don't you want to respect his wishes?"

After that Madara Ojisan visited once a week, but each time the boys heard more arguing, until suddenly two years later, Madara stopped coming. Fugaku told the children he was busy, but everyone could sense that something wasn't right and his name wasn't brought up unless absolutely necessary.

Flashback ends

* * *

><p>Sasuke and Ino were hunched over the coffee table, examining some plans. They barely glanced at him as he came in, completely engrossed in some heated discussion, with Sasuke impatiently tapping a part of the drawing with his pencil while Ino firmly shook her head. Another spike of jealousy shot through him at the sight of them. Ever since that night after they'd fled the club, Ino was around all the time. Naruto hadn't gotten any time alone with Sasuke, except for the times Ino went to the bathroom and then it was too short a time. She left too late and even stayed the night sometimes.<p>

The blond knew what the raven was doing and it pissed him off. It seemed that no matter how much time passed and how grown up they got, to Sasuke, he would always be something to be cut off, held at bay and then discarded. What Kiba had said came back to him.

"_He still is your weakness, Sasuke. We both know exactly why you left him back then."_

It didn't matter why, did it? Sasuke would push him away every time they got close. It made Naruto wonder why he kept fighting Madara...maybe it would be better to leave them all and just go to him. That way Sasuke wouldn't inspire those conflicting feelings in him each time.

Naruto headed back to his room, morosely. Despite his reasoning, the desperate need to talk to the youngest Uchiha filled him. It felt like he was a piece of metal fighting Sasuke's magnetic force all the time. He started up his computer and waited for Dragon Age II to load. Nothing helped more than a fake relationship and some bloody carnage at times like this...not to mention the noise covered up any sounds emanating from the two in the living room.

It was two hours of mindless fighting later that a knock sounded. He turned to see bubblegum pink hair and pretty green eyes. Relief welled up in him. His best friend had a way of making him forget his worries and just have fun. "Sakura-chan!"

"What's wrong?"

She'd always been able to read him well. Only, this time, Naruto couldn't tell her what was on his mind...yet. She threw herself on the bed and immediately pulled her laptop out. They liked sitting together and playing games silently, it was their thing. A few more hours later, time always sped by when they played; Naruto finally stretched and leaned back in his chair. He let his head hang over the back of his chair and observed Sakura. She was pretty as always, hunched over, her character hacking away at the numerous soldiers surrounding her. He made up his mind.

"Sakura, will you go to the Hatake gala with me on Friday?"

Green eyes looked up at him a little startled. "Why? I thought you were going to take Gaara..."

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "No." He looked into her questioning eyes, realising she wanted an explanation. "I don't know...he wants too much from me and I don't think I'm ready for that."

"You're never ready for commitment." Her green eyes took on a more serious look. "Naruto, just end it with him, okay? He wants to be your boyfriend and you want Sasuke..."

Blue eyes went wide with shock, before narrowing abruptly. "What did you say?"

Sakura held her ground, even though Naruto looked like he'd kill her. "You want Sasuke. So stop using Gaara. It's gone on too long and now you're really leading him on."

Naruto's jaw twitched convulsively. He had no idea why he was so angry. He knew she was telling the truth, but his ego couldn't deal with his darkest thoughts being thrown out into the open. He didn't really want Sasuke...he just wanted revenge. Revenge was best when it came to matters of the heart. He sighed. "I'll end it with Gaara..." He held up his hand as she opened her mouth, his blue eyes like chips of ice. "But you will never mention that again. No matter what you see, hear or think." They held each other's gaze for a long time.

The door opened quite suddenly and Sasuke materialised at the threshold. The staring contest was broken by a quick nod of assent from Sakura, though the awkward atmosphere remained. The two then looked at the raven who'd barged in.

Dark eyes flickered between then and finally Sasuke cleared his throat. His eyes looked at the spot between them. He didn't want to make eye-contact with Naruto and still couldn't look at Sakura without hatred bubbling up inside. "Ino's made lunch."

Naruto frowned. "I already ate."

Sakura looked between the two of them and sighed. "I'm sorry Sasuke-san, I ate too." It was a lie and they both knew it.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in annoyance. He hated the way she sided with Naruto in everything. "Fine. You can have it for dinner." He was about to leave, but stopped and looked back. "You'd better eat here for dinner. Ino worked quite hard on that meal..."

Naruto turned to look at Sakura the moment Sasuke left. He was a little more desperate now. This was the most Sasuke had spoken to him since that night. If Sakura was with him, Sasuke never failed to make an appearance. "Come to that ball with me. It's not like we're together..."

Sakura bit her lip. She was smart. It wasn't as if she didn't know why Naruto was asking and why he looked so desperate. She sighed. "Okay. But you'll have to tell Gaara why you're not taking him."

* * *

><p>Sasuke lay on the living room couch, reading. The girls had left after dinner. Ino had a few things to take care of before Neji got back, so she couldn't stick around longer. She'd rounded on him when he'd argued, saying he needed to learn to face things like a grown man. Unfortunately, he wasn't doing a good job of it.<p>

He just couldn't face Naruto after what had happened last time…not without wanting to hold him or kiss him or slam him against the wall. It felt like he'd never fought a battle like this before. It had been easier to leave the boy the first time around.

He sighed…why didn't he ever learn? He'd cowed down to Itachi and Kyuubi so easily…he amended that…he'd _wanted_ to cow down to Itachi and Kyuubi easily. He'd wanted to be back in Naruto's life once he saw the state it had reached. The part of him that loved Naruto just couldn't let him leave it, while the rational part of him had been convinced that nothing would happen…after all it had been years since they'd been close.

He'd been an idiot.

His thoughts shifted to the blond who was cooped up in his room. Funny how Naruto hadn't tried speaking to him today. Usually Sasuke would have been forced to listen to hours of banter before he'd make a few non-committal sounds and leave to the protection his bedroom afforded him. He felt confused...he wanted Naruto to stay away from him but it irked him when the blond actually did that.

Sasuke sighed and stood. It was early but it seemed like there was nothing left for him but to head to bed. He wished Ino had stayed. When she stayed she helped keep the buzzing in his gut that made him long to go to the blond down to a minimum. Today it was at full tilt. He was just about to give in and make his way to Naruto's room when the door bell sounded.

With an irritated huff we made his way to the door and flung it open, only to come face to face with one of the only people he really didn't want to see. "Gaara..."

The redhead nodded and slid in past him. "Naruto called me over."

Sasuke dawdled by the door trying to control that anger coursing through his blood stream. It was so sudden and so overwhelming that his ears had begun to ring a little. He grit his teeth and turned to look at the boy, who for some reason, was still standing close by. Sasuke willed his mouth to move and speak politely. "Anything I can do for you?"

Gaara hesitated, then shook his head. "No..." He began moving down the corridor.

Sasuke frowned and began following him without realising it. They reached Naruto's room together, Sasuke hanging back a little and Gaara ahead. The blond was lying on his bed, his hands folded under his head, the room lit by a little lamp on the bedside table. He turned when he heard them by the door. His blue eyes which had been a little uncertain, took on a harder edge when he saw the raven behind the redhead.

"Gaara..." His voice seemed a tad deeper. A sexy smirk stretched his lips and a hand rose to beckon to the redhead.

Sasuke knew he should leave. He knew he should have just walked away when that voice had sent tingles down his spine, but his feet were firmly rooted to the ground. The redhead made his way to the blond, only to get yanked into a fierce kiss...their lips meshing into one another, sliding open and teeth clacking...

While green eyes shut, blue remained open locked fiercely with black. 'I could be doing this with you...' They seemed to be saying. Sasuke felt nauseous...his heart thumping hard...the blond's every move tore into him, ravaging his soul, leaving him breathless. Feeling returned to his feet and he spun around so quickly he stumbled...fortunately his door was right across and he managed to get in.

Sasuke leaned against the door, hands clenching and unclenching, as his mind processed everything that had just occurred. His hands slid into his hair as his back slid down the door. He curbed the urge to go in there and do _something_...kiss the blond, kick the blond out..._something_!

"Stop. He's your brother and your responsibility. Don't be an idiot...you're Uchiha...you're famous. You cannot be with your foster brother. Let it go." Sasuke couldn't help but repeat it to himself.

But Naruto was a burr...one that held fast.

* * *

><p>Gaara was exhausted...Naruto had been so attentive and so loving last night. That feral look in his eyes belied how gentle he was being...Gaara felt a bubble of happiness. Naruto wanted him and Naruto loved him. He looked at the sleeping form beside him and slid his arm around the tan torso, burying his head between the strong shoulder blades.<p>

He wondered if Naruto would ever ask him out. Maybe he would at the gala? It was only a few days away and it made sense. They'd be able to spend Christmas together...he cuddled a little more forcefully.

Naruto shifted a little before sleepily turning to face him. "Mornin' do we have school today?"

Gaara almost face-palmed. With all the things that could have been said, Naruto chose to ask if they had _school_? He huffed. "No...we don't. It's holidays you idiot!"

"Oh...hm. Then I'll get back to sleep..."

Gaara frowned. He wanted Naruto's attention and he wanted it now. "Naruto...?"

The blond regarded him sleepily. "Hm?"

"When are you going to ask me to the gala?" He expected Naruto's usual smirk to turn on, but the blue eyes suddenly went a little wide. A tiny tendril of foreboding rose up in the red-head.

Naruto on the other-hand was flip-flopping. He wondered whether to break up now...but the morning after was an awful time to do that. He wondered how to dodge the question long enough to buy some time for a break up. "Um...I haven't decided if I want to go yet..."

Gaara raised an eyebrow. "That's odd. I thought Sasuke would make sure you went. The Uchiha family always attends and it would look strange if you don't right after you've asked to be put in Sasuke's custody."

Naruto sighed, he hadn't told anyone the real reason he was in Sasuke's custody. "Well, Sasuke hasn't said anything to me. I'll think about it. After all I asked to stay with Sasuke, so Itachi-nii could have more free-time. No one would think anything was amiss..."

Gaara wanted to push the matter, but it seemed like Naruto was done. Oh well, just because he wasn't going to gala, didn't mean Naruto didn't want to date him. He snuggled closer and smiled. "Wanna just go back to bed?"

"Hmmm..." Naruto hugged the boy closer to hide the sober look on his face. This was making him feel awful, but Gaara got on Sasuke's nerves and his darker side couldn't give up the opportunity to get on Sasuke's nerves. Maybe he'd keep him around for a few more days...

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback:<strong>

The blond approached stealthily before suddenly throwing his arms around the raven. The raven haired man jumped a mile high before turning to thwap the blond on the head, hard.

"Minato, you idiot! I almost tore the contract!"

Mischievous blue eyes gleamed. "But I finally scared you...do you have any idea how difficult it is to catch you unawares?"

Madara sighed. "Must you always be so silly? Your silliness has consequences you know...it's what made my father mad."

Minato's grin fell right off. "No, your parents hate me because they think I made you gay..."

The raven snorted. "Mother might think so, but Father has more sense. He's only worried you might break my heart. Plus our families don't get along too well."

"Why would I break _your_ heart? You're more likely to break mine, you ice-bastard!" Minato scowled. "But I have got good news..." He waited to the black eyes to look at him with complete attention. "I found us a surrogate..."

The Uchiha's face lit up suddenly and he looked so handsome, Minato couldn't help but pull him close. "She's from the Uzumaki family...strong and healthy. Really nice too. If you agree, then we could have a baby..." Minato held him tighter. "Our baby..."

Madara buried his face in the crook of Minato's neck. Ever since he'd met his elder brother's best friend years ago, he'd been in love with him. In his own quiet way, the prospect of rearing a child with Minato made him unbearably happy. "Let's meet her together..."

Minato suddenly pulled away before leaning to kiss him softly. "I hope it's a boy, Rara-chan! You'd make an awesome mom!"

Madara hit him again, annoyed at that god-awful nickname. "Don't call me that, moron. You're the mother! I might submit to you in bed, but you're the sappy one!"

Minato laughed and pulled his boyfriend onto the couch. "I love you..." The youngest Uchiha smiled back. "You too."

**Flashback ends**

Madara looked at the picture on his desk. That was a painful memory. It symbolised the time when everything had been so right, but would start to go so wrong...More than their father, Madara had spent his life trying to impress his mother failing miserably at every step, never knowing why. It was only after Minato, that everything became clear...

**Flashback:**

Madara flipped another page of the book idly. His blond lover hadn't come home yet. He never seemed to come home early these days. Madara supposed he was held up at the embassy or taking Kushina for a check up again. He didn't know when he'd dosed off, but he woke up in the dark to the sound of the door opening.

He watched somewhat blearily as Minato flicked on the lights and hung his coat up. The Namikaze looked serious, too serious, Madara noted. "Mina? What's wrong?"

The blond's eyes gleamed in the light, but not the usual mischievous look, but a slightly crazed one. "Madara, I need to speak to you..." He sat down on the couch beside the raven. He wrung his hands just a little, his whole manner agitated and uncertain.

"I..." His voice seemed off. "I can't be with you...I mean, I...we need to break up."

There was absolute silence. Madara was trying to breath, but it didn't seem to be working. He used the time to get his voice to work, but only managed to croak out a "why?"

Minato refused to look him in the eye. "I...I'm in love with her...with Kushina. She's carrying my child, she's pretty, my family likes her and well...this is too difficult. I, I just want to be with her..."

Madara's breath left him in a whoosh. He clutched the back of the couch tightly, trying to understand why all this was happening and where Minato was coming from. "You what?"

The blond suddenly grabbed him in a hug. "I'm sorry...I love you, I really do...but I can't be with you. I'm going to marry her and raise our child. I love her a lot and she's good for me. Please understand..." And that was it.

There was no screaming or arguments. Minato gave him another tight squeeze, walked to the door, picked up his coat and left. A few weeks later, Madara received an invitation to the wedding and later a card informing him of Naruto's birth.

It had felt like he was drowning. His father suddenly passed away after a heart attack, his mother termed him a "filthy faggot" and disowned him allowing Fugaku to inherit everything. None of it made any sense.

One of those dark dark days, Madara was at his wit's end. He had no more money, the lease for his apartment was expiring soon and none of his former partners were willing to hire him and face his mother's wrath. He looked at the liquor cabinet once more, wondering if he'd be considered an alcoholic if he had a few drinks at this time.

Apart from falling for Minato, he had never gone against society. He didn't drink too much, he had no addictions and he was always responsible. Despite all of that, he was now out of a job and a lover...he had no life! He reached for the cabinet when the doorbell rang.

Upon opening the door, he saw another Uchiha, his father's uncle or someone. "May I help you?"

The man grinned. He had the same handsome Uchiha face-cut and his suit was immaculate. "Madara, my boy, we need to talk you and I..."

The conversation was a long one and when it was done, Madara felt like the ground had been pulled from underneath him again. The man's words couldn't be true...his father couldn't have done such a thing. He was out the door in a flash, driving to his family home. He let himself in and before anyone could stop him, he'd made it to his mother's room. Fugaku was nowhere to be seen.

His mother looked up at him. She was a cold woman, beautiful in an icy sort of way...neither of her sons took after her. Fugaku was just like his father while Madara resembled his father a little. His mother's eyes narrowed. "I thought I told you I never wanted to see you again. What _are_ you doing back here?"

"Mother, is it true?" Madara took a deep breath. He knew what he was about to say was true, but he needed to hear it confirmed. "Am I really not your son?"

His normally emotionless mother looked quite shocked. Then she gathered herself. "I believe I already told you that you are no son of mine. I said it when I called you a filthy faggot." She stood up. "Your father had an affair with some Uchiha branch family bitch! She died in childbirth, serve her right. You should have died with her!" There was pure venom in her voice. "Instead, he brought you here and forced me to look after you...the evidence that I never had held my husband's heart. You could have made him hate you, but no! You were good at everything! You made my son, the rightful heir, look like a stodgy fool. Fugaku could have grown into someone better, if it hadn't been for you!"

She suddenly sat down and smiled at him, cold and triumphant. "Then the old fool finally died. I was finally able to give Fugaku what he deserved." Then the smile was wiped away. "How did you find out? Did your grandfather come to you? He told me he wanted to...but we kept him away all these years..."

Madara nodded. "It makes sense now...why you hated me so much. I thought it was Minato...but it really was just me..."

The woman he'd called mother stood up and walked to a nearby book cabinet. She pulled out a bottle of brandy and poured some into two glasses. She walked back and offered him one. "A peace offering you might say. Now that you know the truth, I expect you'll stop coming here?" She took a sip. "Your grandfather wants you to take over his business...you know he's yakuza, don't you? The Uchiha branch family was built to takeover the underworld...so that the main family interests could be taken care of...much like the Hyuuga's."

Madara felt a sinking feeling in his gut. "You want me to, don't you?"

The woman bared her teeth. "You will join him. Then you will use the yakuza to protect my son. Protect your brother Fugaku using all your influence. You will do it to repay me for all I have done for you when your father was alive..."

Madara laughed bitterly. "And if I don't? After all, you cut me off...and we were never really family..."

His 'mother' smirked. "Okay, then you'll do it to protect your precious Minato."

"Minato left me...why would I care?"

"Because you love him , Madara. Because I forced him to leave you...I threatened to bankrupt his uncle and aunt. I said I'd kill that surrogate whore if he didn't leave you." She paused for effect. "Because...I'll kill the little son you were supposed to have with him, if you don't promise me."

Madara suddenly remembered how Minato had been when he'd left. Pain ripped through him and fought the urge to snap the bitch's neck. He knew she could carry out all of her threats. She was asking him to protect Fugaku...he loved Fugaku. His older brother had always been kind to him, he'd borne the humiliation their father had put him through when Madara did better than him. Fugaku never hated him. And Minato...Minato would have finally taken over the family company from his uncle Jiraiya. He would be happy. Why bring it all up again? By joining the Branch family, he could also protect Minato.

"I will do what you ask."

**Flashback ends**

Madara leaned his head back on his chair and closed his eyes. It all seemed so long ago. After that he didn't see Minato again until Naruto turned three and his former lover turned up on his doorstep.

* * *

><p>Hyuuga Neji smiled as he looked out his window at the gently curling waves on the sand. His business in Wave Country was almost done; he would be back with Ino very soon. They would then announce their engagement and get married before the press got wind of them. It bothered him though that Ino wanted a quite ceremony. He on the other-hand wanted to shout it out to the world...in a quiet Hyuuga fashion of course, but still...he just wanted them to know that Ino was with <em>him <em>and not Sasuke.

His relationship with Ino was secure, but he always remembered she had dated Sasuke first. He had liked her ever since they'd all met back in high school. His phone began to buzz. He languidly picked it up, still immersed in his thoughts. The soft feminine voice brought an uncharacteristically wide smile to his face.

"Ino..."

"Hey sweetie...miss me?"

Neji nodded before he realised she couldn't see him. "You bet. I'm sorry I haven't spoken to you for the last few months. I was really busy. But the deal's finally done. How's Konoha? Care to fill me in?"

Ino was quite enthusiastic about letting him know. She recounted everything. From the details of Kiba's wedding to the new napkins her mother had bought over the weekend. Surprisingly she was silent about Sasuke.

Neji waited for to finish before he broached it. "So, how is Sasuke? The last I saw he'd gotten custody of Naruto."

Ino hesitated a little, which made Neji suspicious...he and Ino were Sasuke's best friends. What could be so secret that Ino would want to keep it from him? But his girlfriend began to speak and Neji began to listen intently. _Naruto and Sasuke?!_ The more Ino continued the more worried he got...until...

"He _kissed_ you?"

Ino laughed. "Yeah, he thought I was Naruto...and then Naruto caught us. It was really funny. I also tucked Sasuke in to keep up the charade. Naruto thinks we're dating and it seems to be driving him crazy..."

Neji frowned. "Ino...are you sure this is alright? Naruto _is _his foster brother. Why are you playing along?"

Ino sighed. "They love each other. Let them be. What worries me is that Sasuke will keep pushing him away...oh! Sasuke is taking me to the Hatake Gala...it's just to keep the rumour mills at rest..."

Neji bit his lip. He knew Ino loved her independence and he trusted her, but she was _his _damn it! Why couldn't Sasuke handle his own problems like a grown man? He decided he'd tell Ino he didn't like it but she hung up saying her father was calling her away.

Looking at his silent phone, Neji made up his mind. He dialled his secretary's number. "Misa-san, get me a plane to Konoha by Friday."

* * *

><p>Sasuke let his finger slide around the rim of the glass as he leant against the bar. He made a sexy picture in his black suit (he disliked tuxes) and red tie. But he was oblivious to the crowd checking him out; he lost in thought. While Ino <em>had<em> come to the gala with him, she'd constantly told him to just face his feelings. He knew she didn't want to keep up this charade anymore, but he was scared...and Uchiha didn't do well with 'scared'.

_"If you don't do anything, you'll just loose him to someone else... Isn't that why this whole thing started? Because you liked him? Because you thought he would be with someone else? He likes you back now and you're willing to let that go? For what?" Her eyes had shone dangerously. "Pride? Fear?" She sighed. "Come on, Sasuke...you should know better..."_

Sasuke lifted his glass and drained its contents. He signalled for another before turning around to scan the room. Ino was circulating, talking to many of their business partners and meeting some who may become business partners. He supposed it would benefit them since she was marrying Neji soon. It was what _he_ should have being doing as well, but after seeing Naruto come in with Sakura, his inclination to mingle had been shot to hell.

"Sasuke!"

He turned to see Ino's father making his way towards him. The man beamed and reached out to pat his shoulder. "The building looks superb! You're doing an amazing job, my boy!"

Sasuke gave him a genuine smile. Inoichi was one f the most genuine people he had met and he liked the man immensely. He had opened his home to Sasuke many times when he'd run away from home. Though he'd been hesitant to give Sasuke the job of building his new store, he'd still taken the risk. "Thank you, Inoichi-san. I'm glad you like it."

They made small talk for sometime before Inoichi was called away. The moment he left, Sasuke was aware of the blond boy and pink haired girl. He headed to the bar for another drink. The bartender seemed a bit slower than usual and when his drink finally got to the counter, it was taken away by a pale hand. He looked up into the masked face of his eccentric host, Hatake Kakashi.

"A third one so soon? Are you trying to get wasted at my Gala, Sasuke?" His different-coloured eyes curled into a smile.

"Kakashi..." Sasuke reached for the glass, only to have the man move it a few paces farther away. "Kakashi, just give me the drink...I need it."

His college professor and mentor's smile disappeared. "I'm sure you do. Just because he brought her doesn't mean she's the one he wants..." He looked at Sasuke's face that had paled rapidly. "You should tell him before drinking yourself to death."

The raven frowned. "Is it that obvious? Does _everyone_ know?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No. I can see it because I've known you all your life. I was at your house most of the time after Minato-sensei died. I still think you should tell him..."

"He's my foster brother..."

"So what? You're not related by blood. You should have told him years ago! Instead you broke numerous hearts and alienated your best friend...it's time to grow up Sasuke..."

"Does Itachi..."

"No. He's was always too caught up in the work piled on him by your father. It's a miracle Itachi was able to even be there for Naruto after the way your father left things..." Kakashi turned. "Oh...look, it's your uncle..."

Sasuke turned to see Madara standing very Uchiha-like in the corner of the room. It was an Uchiha thing to stand unobtrusively in corners and have other people come to them. They made eye-contact and Sasuke smiled at him. With the number of people around his uncle, he doubted he would be able to talk to him. Apparently Madara thought so too since he made no move to come over.

Kakashi sighed. "I better go see him, if that crowd will let me."

As Kakashi left Sasuke glanced over at the blond object of his attention. The blond was looking at Madara wide-eyes and a little pale...but then he looked away suddenly and pretended to be in deep conversation with Sakura.

Sasuke wondered what that was all about...his uncle had always been kind to them. He was a little manipulative and there was a price for everything but he had to be if he was head of the branch family.

He saw Itachi come in and make his way over to him. Kyuubi had already begun circulating. God, he hated these parties! They were forced to socialise and converse with people just to have better business, when the only thing necessary for business should have been the quality of the product or service.

Itachi gave him a hug as soon as he came face to face with him. "I see you brought Ino?"

"Yes. It just makes things easier from the press' point of view. So how are you? You look really tired..."

His older brother smiled. "I'm okay. Just waiting for the holidays so we can get away from all of this. You and Naruto will be coming home for Christmas?"

Sasuke nodded. "We will. But don't you and Kyuubi just want to get away someplace?"

Itachi opened his mouth to answer, when Inoichi tapped his glass. The man was beaming.

"I have an announcement to make..."

* * *

><p>Naruto was aware the raven's every move. He'd seen the look of displeasure that Sasuke had shot him when he's walked in with Sakura on his arm. It had only made him more stubborn. He'd slipped an arm around the pink haired girl and pulled her closer despite her angry and heated whispers.<p>

His usual crowd of sycophants surrounded them right away. There were so many, that he actually lost sight of the rest of the guests at the party, for awhile. It took him a whole half an hour to answer their questions, decline their invitations to date or just make small talk with them.

He watched the raven quickly finish two drinks and then speak to Ino's father. He hated that smile on Sasuke's face because it was so genuine. Sasuke didn't usually smile at people that way and it made Naruto uneasy…just what were they talking about? Why did Sasuke look so happy and Inoichi so pleased?

Naruto shook his head and turned to speak to another person tugging at his sleeve when he saw his uncle standing in the far corner. He felt himself go a little pale but decided to ignore it. This was the Hatake Gala, of course Madara would be here…Kakashi knew everyone in the family.

It was a few minutes later when he suddenly heard a gasp and turned to see Gaara. The red head was looking at him a little hurt and puzzled. "Naruto? You brought Sakura?"

Naruto opened his mouth but he couldn't think of an excuse. He floundered a little until Sakura came to his rescue. "It was a last minute thing…Sasuke said he had to go! He had no one else to ask since he'd told you he wasn't going…"

Gaara looked at Naruto. "Is that true?"

Suddenly the blond couldn't bear it all. He just wanted to tell him the truth and get it over with. He grabbed the redhead's shoulders and dragged him aside. "No it isn't."

Gaara's eyes widened. "What?"

"I had planned to come with Sakura all along." Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look this isn't going to work...us...I was actually planning on breaking up that night."

"Then why didn't you?"

Naruto glanced at the raven who was talking to Itachi. "Well...you see..."

At that moment Inoichi cleared this throat and tinkled his glass, bringing the conversation to an abrupt halt. He looked terribly excited and Naruto couldn't help looking over at him. The long haired blond began.

"I have an announcement to make...I am terribly pleased to announce my daughter's engagement to one of the most famous architects in Konoha. He has helped build so many of our beautiful landmarks…"

Naruto's ears began to ring and the blood began to drain rapidly from his face. He could make out Sasuke staring at him wide-eyed, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. Inoichi was still talking about how great an architect his new son-in-law was and Naruto couldn't bear to hear another word but they drilled into his head anyway.

"May I present my son-in-law to be…Neji Hyuuga…"

The name came like a blow to Naruto, his knees buckled a little and he braced himself against the wall. _Not Sasuke…not Sasuke…thank God…not Sasuke…_

When he regained a little of his senses, he saw Gaara staring at him in disbelief and then that disbelief morphed into anger. "_Him_? You like him…then you were just using me…"

A hard punch knocked Naruto off his feet and for some reason cleared his addled mind. He looked up and braced himself for another only to see Sasuke holding the redhead's arm back. The dark haired man looked positively furious albeit a little drunk.

"Don't ever hit him again…" Sasuke frowned and grabbed Naruto's arm. The blond tried to pull away but he was unceremoniously dragged toward the exit, while Sasuke shoved his way through the watching crowd. When they were outside he found himself being dragged to the line of waiting limos.

Sasuke's chauffer hurriedly opened the door for them and the raven threw the blond in before getting inside himself. The partition was raised and the car began to move. Naruto took a few deep breaths and then opened his mouth.

"You weren't dating her?"

Sasuke looked at him, black eyes still snapping with a mix of emotions. "Shut up…"

Naruto frowned. "You dragged me all the way here to say shut up?"

Sasuke refused to say anything. He looked to be in deep thought, a little crease between his forehead as he steadfastly looked away from Naruto. It pissed the blond off.

"Look at me!" He demanded.

Sasuke glanced at him before turning back to the window. "If you don't shut up and let me think, I'll throw you out onto the curb right now and that's that…"

Naruto shut up.

They drove for a while before the car pulled up at the station. Once more he found himself being grabbed and yanked out of the car. Sasuke took shoved him onto a bench and disappeared for a bit. Just when Naruto was starting to get really worried that the tipsy raven had left him behind, he reappeared. He seemed to like manhandling the blond it seemed because Naruto was sure he'd have a ton of bruises in the morning.

They got on a train.

Naruto saw they were in a private cabin with a queen sized bed. It took about five minutes for the train to move during which time Sasuke had divested himself of his jacket and laid it on the back of a chair in the corner.

Naruto couldn't hold it in anymore and he doubted Sasuke would throw him off the train. He opened his mouth again, only to find the raven's tongue firmly thrust in while his lips meshed with his own. Naruto wondered if his brains could melt into a puddle…it felt so hot.

A good long bit of kissing, with tongue, without tongue, chaste, passionate and everything else, Sasuke broke away from him and looked into his eyes.

"I'm not engaged to her and I'm tired of running." He kissed the blond once more. Then he said something that turned the blond's world upside down.

"Naruto…I love you…"

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>


	6. Jigsaw

Chapter 6: Jigsaw

Blood pounded in Naruto's ears upon hearing those words. He didn't know how to respond to that...he'd waited years to hear it and at the same time it was those very words he didn't want to hear. At the same time, if Sasuke stopped kissing him then the world would end...very horribly.

Luckily for him, the tipsy Sasuke didn't wait for him to respond anyway. He just meshed their lips together again and fried Naruto's brain. Sasuke's confession had just heightened the chemistry between them to such a level that Naruto would have sworn he could feel heat waves pulsing between them. _To hell with everything else..._

Naruto's hands wound themselves into silky raven locks as his legs automatically wound around Sasuke's hips. His tongue slid out to lock with his lover's and he drowned himself in the taste of Sasuke.

The raven was pressing against him almost like he wanted to merge with him but none of it was satisfying. Naruto's pressed back too, revelling in the spikes of lust the motion brought with it. The nagging feeling that he couldn't sit back and let Sasuke run the show made him put real effort into showing off the skills he'd picked up.

He bit at the raven's soft pink lips, nibbling and suckling; he moved just out reach every time Sasuke tried to participate. Sasuke growled, grabbing the blond's hands and slamming them into the wall above him. Then he proceeded to plunder the defenceless lips in front of him...that'd show this tease of a blond who he was currently with.

Naruto's whimpered, sucking in a few harsh breaths through his nose, while valiantly keep up with his foster brother's assault. Just when he thought he might come just from the kissing, Sasuke released his lips from the flurry of kisses.

He pulled back to look at the Uchiha's face, but the other just slid his lips from Naruto's cheek to his left earlobe. The lobe was duly bitten and suckled lightly with the same teasing motions that he'd treated the Uchiha to. _How had Sasuke known his ear was sensitive?_

Hot breath washed over his ear making goose bumps break out over his tan skin. He struggled against Sasuke's hold. He wanted to feel that soft dark hair or run his fingers down that strong back or throw his arms around the man grind him into oblivion.

"Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to do this?" Sasuke whispered into his ear between the fairy-light licks he was giving it. "To slam you against the wall and make you melt into a puddle of desire?"

Naruto's ego wouldn't let him back down. He smirked. "Who's melting, bastard?"

Sasuke looked at him for a moment before his face morphed into a positively evil sexy smile. "Oh don't worry...you'll get there soon." He placed his forehead and lips against the blond's. "I promise..."

A shiver went down Naruto's spine as the Uchiha's lips followed the line of his neck all the way to the juncture of his neck and shoulder. That wicked tongue slipped out to sample the caramel skin with a long wet lick. Teeth followed in a few light nips before they attached themselves firmly over the younger man's pulse. The first hard suck when Sasuke's tongue flattened itself tore a mewl out of Naruto's mouth. He bucked when more pressure was applied; he had to consciously hold himself back...Sasuke wasn't the only one who had waited to do this.

Even the numerous partners he'd had recently couldn't compare to this. This was Sasuke..._his_ Sasuke...every place they touched tingled with need. Yeah, Sasuke could make him melt indeed, but Naruto was never one to sit by passively. He relaxed suddenly; planning his next move...if he melted then Sasuke could melt with him.

As Sasuke's mouth detached, leaving an almost purple mark, Naruto's legs detached too. He placed his legs against the wall and heaved, sending them both tumbling onto the bed as the train rocked a little more than usual.

The action resulted in Sasuke splayed out horizontally on the bed and Naruto on top of him. The blond smirked down at the raven, his fingers nimbly undoing the buttons of his shirt, while making sure to brush the pale skin being revealed inch by inch. When the shirt was undone, Naruto moved it out of the way to frame the toned chest, bending down run his lips from neck to navel once in small butterfly kisses. His tongue briefly dipped into Sasuke's navel while his left hand lightly followed the beginnings of his happy trail till it reached his belt.

Then Naruto sat up again, his bright blue eyes taking in the picture. Sasuke's hair was mussed in places and spread out on the bed; his arms were on either side, fingers loosely tangled in the comforter as dark eyes met and held his.

"I want you...I've wanted you for a very long time..." Naruto surprised himself as the words suddenly exited his mouth.

The brunet said nothing just looking at his blond. Then his hand came up to rest on the blond's cheek. "Then let me make it up to you..." Fingers tangled in the blond locks and grasped his head, pulling him down to another kiss. This one starting out chaste...just lips against lips, before they slowly fell into another passionate kiss.

Hands moved up and down their bodies as they kissed until the clothes they wore turned into hurdles...obstructing them from going further down this path of madness. Naruto kept his place straddling his foster brother as he undid his own clothes. His jacket was peeled off and thrown in the corner. The shirt was taken off more slowly. He spent more time brushing his own tan skin, giving the older man a show, before it joined his jacket.

He undid the button of his pants, the sound of the zipper colouring the air next...then he stopped. Slipping one hand into his undone pants, he gave his aching member a few quick strokes through his dark blue boxers...the action pulled his boxers down just enough to let Sasuke have a quick glimpse of the glistening head of his cock peeking out the waistband...

That was it.

**(Lemon)**

Sasuke's control was shot to hell. He grabbed the blond's hips and pulled him forward till he fell onto all fours. Dark eyes stayed on the bit of trapped cock and a warm tongue slipped out to lap at it. He felt the younger boy shudder atop him but didn't stop his ministrations. Naruto tasted slightly salty and somewhat bitter...the taste of skin...but he found it addictive anyway.

He started to suck lightly refusing to pull down the boxers any further and was rewarded with some precum oozing onto his tongue. Smirking, he finally began removing the boy's underwear taking his cock into his mouth inch by inch as he did so. The moan following that action nearly shredded his control, but he told himself to calm down...after all he was supposed to make this a night Naruto would remember...

He let his tongue press the cock to the roof of his mouth and began to suck more powerfully. Just as Naruto began bucking with need he let go and moved to nose and suckle his balls...heavy balls for someone his age.

"Damn it Sasuke...just do...unh...do something okay?"

Sasuke spent a few more minutes enjoying himself as he got familiar with Naruto's nether regions before pulling back to look at his handiwork. Naruto's cock was darker than his caramel skin more the colour of coffee and broader than Sasuke's. It was wet from what he'd done with his mouth and surrounded by those thick gorgeous blond curls, the shaft and those heavy balls looked delectable. It was a wonder Sasuke didn't just fuck it all and give the boy the blow job of a lifetime...

Sasuke sighed, contemplation turning to amusement as the cock he was admiring almost blinded him as the boy above thrust a few times impatiently. He caught the boy around the waist giving his tight ass a few hard spanks before suddenly rotating him a full 360 degrees.

"I'll work on yours if you work on mine?"

The offer delivered in that rough and lust filled voice had Naruto almost tearing off the pants covering the crotch in front of him. He made quick work of everything not wanting to linger with the promise of that talented mouth returning.

He made quick work of Sasuke's pants, stripping them off with his boxers, leaving the raven in just that shirt hanging off his arms. Then he took a moment to admire what he's uncovered. _Sasuke's crotch...Sasuke's cock..._ Though he'd come into contact with the said organ, he'd never been in a position to really look at it, except for that one time he'd been a voyeur to Sasuke losing his virginity.

Sasuke's cock was red and straining against his washboard stomach. Naruto twined his fingers through the thick dark hair at the base of that impressive member...disbelief and lust clouding his thoughts.

"You're thinking too much..."

With that his cock was suddenly swallowed whole, the tip moving into the previously uncharted territory of Sasuke's throat. Naruto gasped and flailed as much as he could on all fours, but his hips were held in a death grip while Sasuke's mouth worked to make his dreams come true. After a bit of just being lost in the sensation, Naruto's mind reminded him that he had one delicious cock to sample too.

The blond started with licks from the top of Sasuke's cock to the bottom, his tongue snagging on the foreskin each time. Then he just lapped at the slit for sometimes, wiping away the generous donations that were being doled out, before moving to wrap a hand around the bottom and begin sucking at the top. For a while they both had their mouths full of cock and their minds full of pleasurable sensations.

Sasuke stopped suddenly and let his mouth move down to the balls, mouthing them shallowly, before moving higher to the brown orifice between the globes of his lover's ass. He gave it a lick, flattening his tongue and drawing it across hard.

Naruto choked on the cock in his mouth and drew away coughing, spluttering. "Bastard...what are you...?"

His hips were caught and attention lavished upon his hole. Naruto found his face pressed into the mattress, moans tearing themselves out of his mouth with each lick and when that wicked tongue of his foster brother began rimming him, he began screaming in earnest...begging, pleading for his raven to keep going and never stop...

But Sasuke stopped and suddenly lay down next to him, gathering him up in a hug and a chaste kiss...

"Calm down...you need to cool down or this will be over before we begin..."

Naruto tried to breathe more slowly and forced himself to calm down which was a very difficult thing to do with Sasuke's naked body and hard cock rubbing against his own. After a few minutes he bucked into Sasuke, initiating a slow humping motion. They both humped like bunnies for a while, just enjoying the slide of their heated bodies against one another.

Then Sasuke stopped and went for the lube in his jacket pocket. He sat back on the bed, pouring some into his hand and rubbing to warm it up. "How do you want this?"

Naruto looked at him for a long moment... "I want to see your face..." _I want to know this is really happening..._

Sasuke nodded and crawled towards him. He pushed the boy onto his back, taking his lips in a long kiss while his fingers rubbed at his aching hole. As he wriggled a finger in, Sasuke's eyes widened and he pulled away a little. Naruto was too damn tight for someone who'd done this before...

Naruto looked at him questioningly before it dawned on him. He shrugged..."I..." This was damn difficult... "I was saving this for you...I guess..."

The lust and love that blossomed at the statement almost made him come right there. He was glad he still had to stretch the boy, a task that he proceeded to do quite thoroughly, his curving fingers locating the boy's prostate and abusing it till he was mewling, screaming and growling insults at the bastard who wouldn't "just take him already!"

Then Sasuke lubed his own cock. He gave it a few tugs before placing at the Naruto's entrance. Entering him was excruciatingly slow...he had to keep stopping and waiting for the blond to adjust. The tightness around him was making it difficult to keep the objective of making this good for Naruto in mind too. Finally he was seated and he took a few deep breaths to calm himself before the pillaging began.

Naruto looked at him, blue eyes swimming with a dozen emotions he couldn't pin, before saying "This is real, isn't it?" and immediately turning away like he'd said something stupid. He turned the boy's face to him and kissed him.

"I know what you mean...but this is as real as it can get," he said as he bucked a bit and smirked. Naruto smirked back and signalled that he could move.

The first few thrusts were slow to let them both just feel and accept that it was happening. Then the pace upped a bit until only the rhythmic noise of the train covered the rhythmic noise of the headboard.

**(Lemon ends)**

Naruto felt it all build up, his eyes trained on the sweaty but beautiful face above him. "Sasuke!" The coil in his stomach tightened more and more until it slowly burst. He sprayed his seed all over his foster brother, the old title of "Sasu-nii" being torn from his lips in his ecstasy. The clenching of his muscles helped Sasuke over the edge, his name leaving those lips in a more guttural sound, before the man above him collapsed onto him.

They both panted harshly. Both trying to contain the happiness and satisfaction that threatened to drown them while battling the disbelief and fear of losing this that clawed at them.

* * *

><p>Coal black eyes watched the youngest Uchiha drag the blond boy out of the room. <em>Hmm...interesting... <em>He wondered what course this would take and whether he'd have to make bigger changes in his plans.

"Looks like he finally made a move..."

Madara turned to see his masked host by his elbow. He gave him a nod. "He did...but did he have to make a scene in public?"

"He's an Uchiha...you always do things in style especially when it comes to damning the family name...you did it too..." Kakashi eyed him thoughtfully. "That Sasuke is very like you, in fact..."

"He's nothing like me...before I took over the branch family I had some innocence and naivety...Sasuke is like my dead brother, he knows what he wants and goes after it quite single-mindedly." Madara's fingers clenched a tad bit tightly around his glass which did not go unnoticed by the ever observant masked man.

"Please...Sasuke was very naive too before that blond boy came into his life. On the contrary, Sasuke has a way of single-mindedly running away from the things he wants. Very like you. But when he finally makes a decision, he sticks to it, like your wanting to adopt Naruto-kun."

Madara notched up the ice in his glare but found he had nothing to say to the man. Kakashi knew everything about him and understood him. He just sipped his drink, trying his best to keep the memories at bay...

**Flashback**

It was the last time he'd seen the man he loved. His mother had died a few weeks ago and Minato had shown up at his house. The blond had lost weight and looked tired, but his smile was still quite bright and still managed to spark some happiness in his heart. The little boy followed them quietly, sensing the slightly tense mood.

"Minato..." Madara moved away from the door and let them in. "Come on in." He took their coats and then led them into the kitchen. He couldn't take his eyes off the little blond boy next to his former lover. Minato set him on a chair at the table.

"Would you like something to drink? I have coffee or cola for you and milk or juice for the little one."

He turned to the fridge feeling Minato's eyes on him the whole time; it made him a little uncomfortable. Suddenly arms went around him and a face was pressed into his back. He tensed as the scent of Minato washed over him, the unwanted feeling of the safety and comfort he used to feel before, creeping back. After a slight pause he relaxed into the hold.

"I'm sorry..."

"I know. My mother told me."

"I didn't know what else to do..."

"Its ok..." Madara turned to hold the blond who was trembling a little. "Minato, its ok. Come sit down, you're scaring the little one."

The blond stepped back from him and turned to his little blond clone. "Naruto, this is your other father, Madara. Madara, this our son, Naruto..."

Nothing could describe the sensation he felt when the little boy ran up and hugged him. "Hello Madara-Tousan! I'm Nawuto!"

He hugged back, the world that had fallen apart piecing itself together in that moment. They didn't talk about anything else for the rest of the day, just content to spend time with Naruto and play with him. When Madara asked him to stay, Minato readily agreed, so their time for talk came when Naruto was finally put to bed.

"What about Kushina? Is she okay with this?"

Minato looked away. "It's hard on her. We were never in love, she had someone else she had in mind but your mother's threats were quite effective. Don't get me wrong, we both love Naruto a lot but even now, we don't seem to be able to live as man and wife."

He sighed. "I told her I was coming to meet you and she was quite happy. The sooner we go back to the people we love, the sooner we can give Naruto the right kind of home. We might have to wait a year or so because I need to finish my term with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before I cause any scandals..." He smiled a little but then got serious. "You...would you be willing to take me back?"

Madara said nothing for a little while before smiling. "Of course, you moron...but the next time shit happens, you will tell me about it."

Minato bent down and kissed him...the world was right...

**Or not**.

Though he'd met Minato quite frequently, he didn't meet Naruto again. They'd decided that they'd keep the boy out of it until they were official again, to spare him the chaos of it all. Minato sent as much time as he could with him and had made him Naruto's guardian should anything happen.

He hadn't really thought something would happen until he was in front of the hotel TV in Mist Country looking at the ruins of the plane, wallowing in the knowledge that life would not cut him a break and the sole reason for his happiness had just crashed and burned.

He had been a mess. He took to drinking quite heavily and lying around depressed. His grandfather had finally barged in and given him a dozen missions enough for a year to get him back on his feet. But branch family work was not pretty and sometimes he thought he was going to crazy with the amount of blood he had on his hands...all to protect Fugaku of course. He finally realised he still had something to live for...his son with Minato...the little boy who'd hugged him and played with him the day happiness came back to him.

It took him another year to get his affairs over there sorted and when he returned it was to be told that Naruto was happily toddling around in his brother's home.

He'd fought of course and asked to see the will, but Fugaku had sat him down and explained.

"When Minato found out that you were aiming to be head of the branch family, he put me down as guardian instead. How could you not have told him?" Fugaku frowned down at him.

"I was going to tie up those loose ends; I only did to protect you! Give him to me, Oniisan, he's my son!" Madara was desperate. His son was all he had left of Minato. He was sure Fugaku would understand.

But his brother was adamant. "Naruto deserves a good home with two parents who have always followed the law. Not a yakuza father! Whatever the reason you joined the branch family, they will not let you go so easily. Naruto could get caught up in the cross fire. I will care for him as well as I care for my own sons!"

Madara gave him a long look. "Give me a year. I'll build something for Naruto to be proud of. He won't know about the yakuza ties or anything. I have a clean image with society anyway. Then when I return, give me my son back."

Fugaku gave him a long and considering look. "If you do that, I'll reconsider..."

* * *

><p><strong><em>A dead man's point of view: Fugaku<em>**

Fugaku had always harboured some hatred for his brother. It was inevitable really. The younger boy was just too good at everything he did. His father always doted on him and never noticed the amount of effort Fugaku put into doing well at school or anywhere else. Madara had things come to him effortlessly. If he tried it once, he could do it excellently.

Fugaku knew his mother hated the boy, he knew Madara wasn't wholly his brother, but this didn't soothe his feelings. He knew his mother only hated Madara because the boy was better than him...if Fugaku had been good enough, then his mother wouldn't have wanted Madara gone in the first place.

But Madara was also loving and kind. He'd always looked up to Fugaku and followed him around whenever he could. There was a three year difference between them, but it had never stopped Madara. When Fugaku was twenty, he'd brought his best friend, Minato, home for the holidays. He had seen right away that Madara thought Minato was the coolest guy in existence. They'd hit it off.

Minato had begun tutoring Madara and they had begun to form their own friendship without Fugaku acting as a go-between. Minato was _his_ friend...Fugaku didn't have too many friends who genuinely knew and cared about him...but he let it go. As long as Minato was _his_ best friend and thought of Fugaku as the most important brother, it was okay.

But four years later, Minato was Madara's boyfriend and Fugaku was Madara's mediator with the family. Then another year later, his father handed the company over to Madara, making him _Fugaku's _boss. It didn't matter that he was married and Mikoto loved him more than anyone in the whole world. It just burned that he was never acknowledged for anything by anyone other than his wife and mother.

It really burned.

Little hatred turned into actual hatred but Fugaku could never move against him. Two years later, Minato broke up with Madara, his father passed on and his mother in one fell stroke got Fugaku everything he wanted.

So four years later, when Madara showed up at his house demanding that Naruto be given to him, Fugaku saw light...he saw exactly how he could make his brother suffer. He had to suffer really...just to see what Fugaku had felt like when no one acknowledged him.

* * *

><p>The past year had been had been difficult but he had finally built up a name and a company that rivalled his father's; one that Naruto could take over and live off of, quite luxuriously, when coupled with what Minato left him. He was on his way to see his brother and finally claim his son.<p>

Fugaku was all smiles when he arrived but when Naruto was mentioned the pleasure disappeared. Fugaku argued about displacing the child when he already had a family. When he finally met Naruto, he realised the boy didn't know him, having met him only once. His resemblance to Minato tore at Madara's heart. No matter how much he pleaded Fugaku refused to give in.

He spent two years in and out of the Uchiha household spending time with Naruto while sitting with his lawyers on the custody cases. Fugaku was outraged that he'd taken it to court but Madara didn't worry about that. What could Fugaku do anyway?

He'd found out.

He'd walked into his office one day to find Fugaku waiting for him with two men in white coats.

"What brings you here?"

Fugaku smiled. "You're worrying me, Otouto. You're obsessed with my youngest son, first harassing me and now trying to make a legal issue. But I don't think you'd make a good father."

Madara felt a spike of rage. "What are you talking about? Minato wanted me to have him! He..."

"You think I haven't looked into your track record? First you were off your rocker when Minato left and father died. Then you behaved like a lunatic when Minato died. You're yakuza! You've killed people. You talk to yourself at night and have horrible nightmares. You have blood on your hands...you even exhibit violent behaviour!"

Fugaku walked towards him confidence pouring off of him. He hugged his younger brother and placed his mouth at his ear. "I will never give you Naruto...Minato was my best friend and I deserve to be his guardian. He disowned you when he found what you were..." He backed away a little and looked at Madara, his eyes full of hatred. "Minato came back to you thinking you were still pure and innocent. I told him before he left...I told him what kind of a man you were and what you were doing with your life...he was so disgusted. If that damn plane hadn't crashed, then he'd have told you himself..."

Madara fought to contain his anger. "You're lying...I spoke to Minato just before he got on that plane." He saw Fugaku's face twitch with surprise. "I was the last person in Konoha he spoke to. Why won't you show me the damn Will? Why are you worried about me making this legal?"

Fugaku looked a little lost and then something hardened in him. "I love that little boy too. He looks up to me like no one ever did! Not even my own sons. I will not let you take him as well...you take everyone away from me! I'm looking after him and I'm bringing him up the way Minato would have wanted. Why can't you just be the good uncle and let it be? Why must you fight me all the time? I just want to be loved and adored like you for once! Madara, please let it go..."

"I'll still let him see you, Fugaku. He is the son Minato and I were supposed to have. He's _my_ family. You have yours. Show me the Will..."

His older brother gave him a long look and then his face went expressionless. "I knew you wouldn't understand. You just need to have everything and it doesn't matter if its important to me. You are not my brother." He turned to the white clad men and motioned to them.

They came forward quite suddenly and before Madara knew what was happening he felt something prick his arm. He struggled but suddenly felt woozy. He looked up at Fugaku in horror.

"Will you be able to put him away, Kabuto?"

One of the men came forward. "It would be as easy as pie..." He gave a strange smile and Madara found himself being lifted up.

The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was Fugaku's conflicted face.

He woke up in a white padded cell where he would spend the next four years...

**Flashback ends**

* * *

><p>Pale yellow sunlight slid across the floor and up the tousled bed covers; it's soft fingers caressing the blond's eyelids causing him to scrunch his brow and turn over. He settled in the delicious warmth for some time, feeling the heat of the other's body next to him, before opening his eyes to reveal the colour of the sky.<p>

He just observed the other man for some time. The sleeping raven's hair was tousled, sticking up in some places while the pale face looked peaceful and satisfied. Sasuke was _beautiful_. For the last day and a half they had been in this room. Sasuke had brought them here as soon as they got off the train and they had indulged in just enjoying each other over and over again.

He felt sore but he had never felt so relaxed in his life. He had been quite content to just revel in pleasure since the time on the train, but now, niggling questions kept beating at the walls of his mind. What next?

Now that he had the raven in the palm of his hand...what was he going to do? He suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Sure, he hated Sasuke...Sasuke had taken everything that mattered to him. But could he hurt this man in cold blood?

"_We have a deal. You would do well not to forget, in case I took it upon myself to hurt your precious Sasuke."_

Naruto grimaced. Better that _he_ hurt Sasuke rather than Madara. It wasn't like he had to hurt Sasuke right away...he had another six months left. Why not just enjoy it all? He had worked very hard to get to this point and he had finally gotten what he had wanted all those years ago. He did not have to give it up right away. _It would also make his revenge much more potent_...

He felt the raven shift and immediately an arm circled around him to pull him closer. He was rolled over onto his back so that Sasuke could look down at him. Despite his earlier musings, the moment the Uchiha smiled at him, he felt warm and comfortable; it was good to finally see _that_ smile on Sasuke's face again.

"Sleep well?" The deep voice rolled over him making him shiver pleasantly.

Naruto nodded. "What about you? I thought you'd never wake up..."

Sasuke continued to smile as he lay back. "I haven't slept this well in a long time! If I'd known I would be this happy, I would have confessed to you years ago..."

Naruto frowned suddenly. He sat up, letting the covers slide off of him, a serious expression on his face. "What do you mean confessed years ago?"

The raven gave him a long look before he replied. Uchiha's didn't do sweetsy confessions or sappy ones, they were usually full of drama and over before the other person realised it was a confession...his expression went from serious to sheepish before inching towards expressionless.

"Well, this isn't an overnight thing, you know, I've had these feelings for a long time..." Sasuke felt relief at being able to say at least that much.

"How long?"

Naruto's clipped tones went unnoticed by the raven who had suddenly found the ceiling very interesting. The blond watched his lover...it felt weird to say that...grapple within himself, before the raven slid out of bed, making a beeline for the bathroom.

"A long time," he said as he shut the bathroom door.

Naruto brought his gaze away from the bathroom door to the white sheets pooled around him. What did he mean when he'd said a 'long time'? For how long had his feelings been returned? If they had been returned then why would Sasuke have sold him out to Madara?

Despite all the hardship he'd been through, Naruto wasn't a complete brooder, he had to snap out of it as soon as possible...he'd been quite broody since he began living with Sasuke and now much of what he'd been broody about was over. Madara was something he could do nothing about.

The blond stretched. He had six months and he'd enjoy it. The thought of telling Sasuke what was going on didn't even cross his mind. He picked up the phone and ordered a hearty breakfast...being made love to continually for three days by Sasuke seemed to have cleared his head. He grinned truly for the first time in a long time. They were in a new country...he would get Sasuke to take him out today...

* * *

><p>"Mmm...These meat buns are amazing!" The boy took another bite not bothered in the least by the crumbs that stuck to his mouth. "I usually don't like green tea very much, but man; it tastes awesome with this bun!"<p>

"Dobe, there's a reason it's called Tea Country...this is the origin of most of the tea sold around the world!" Sasuke picked up his prawn _shaomai_ and delicately placed it in his mouth. He chewed quietly for a bit just enjoying the flavour. "What do you want to do after you're done?"

Naruto thought about it and then shrugged. "Well, we seem to have done everything offered, haven't we? We took the cruise, we went tea tasting, we picked tea leaves, visited tea houses, went to the Tea-Musement park and did all the hiking we possibly could..." He sighed before giving Sasuke a smile. "How about we go home? Christmas is in two days and I want to spend it with our family..."

Sasuke, who had been smiling all through the dialogue, frowned suddenly. He didn't want to go home! Home meant coming out to everyone, facing reality and the possibility of parting. His foot began tapping out a rhythm on the hard wood floor as he pondered on how to answer the blond. "Well..."

A frown marred the blond's features too as the sky blue eyes took in his partner's sudden discomfort. "What are you worried about? Really?" His voice was soft despite his expression and it coaxed Sasuke to open up a little.

"What if..." Sasuke's foot tapped out a faster tune as he sought out the right words. "What if Itachi and Kyuubi don't like it? Us...what if it just goes away?" His dark eyes took on an emotion Naruto had never seen before; a sort of desperation mixed with fear. "Look, can't we just stay here for the holidays? I've finally got what I've wanted for all these years..." He stopped and signalled for the check.

Naruto had stopped asking what Sasuke meant by "all those years..." He never got an answer; Sasuke would clam up for the next few hours until Naruto got him to soften up again. He watched the raven's agitation for a while and then followed him out of the teahouse. They walked together through some really pretty parks that connected the teahouses. Sasuke stopped under a gazebo and the blond leaned on the rail next to him.

The blond didn't say anything for a while. How could he explain that he wanted to have everything...just for a little while...before he went to Madara. He wanted to live with Sasuke as his lover, have Itachi and Kyuubi accept them, have his friends around him, enjoy school and everything that he had now. While being in Tea Country was awesome, it wasn't _real_ and Naruto did not want his time with Sasuke spent like a dream, it had to be **solid**. He made up his mind.

"Look, Sasuke...stop thinking about 'what if' and just enjoy what we have! Let's go back." He turned and placed his hands on Sasuke's cheeks, fingers a little bit in his hair, eyes looking into the deep black pools of hesitation. It made him forget about Madara all of a sudden. "Let's live together...lets enjoy ourselves and just forget everyone else okay? I'm not leaving. I'm really not going anywhere."

Naruto moved closer for this bit. "I know I didn't say it back. At that time I had no idea how to react but I _love_ you! So let's make this real for us!"

He leaned forward and tilted his head up to kiss the bastard soundly. Their kisses were always so perfect; even the sweet ones they were giving each other now. Naruto pulled back and let Sasuke hold him. He'd never seen the Uchiha so lost and desperate. He placed little chaste and comforting kisses into Sasuke's neck as they stood together and looked out at the beautiful lake. With his nose buried in sunshine hair Sasuke felt happiness so strong; it was accompanied by an equally strong sense of foreboding.

* * *

><p>Itachi was currently pinned to the ground with his hot redheaded fiancé straddling him. He wondered for the nth time why he had chosen a woman who was so goddamned strong. If only she would allow him to get to the phone!<p>

Gold eyes narrowed. "No! I won't let you call him! You're acting like some obsessed psycho!"

Itachi frowned. Just because he'd spent a week trying to reach Sasuke and Naruto did not mean he was obsessed. He was worried for their safety. He pouted at the woman. "I just want to know if they're okay!" He rose up and tried to buck her off.

Kyuubi smirked and slammed him back down onto the ground. "Sasuke sent you a message saying they were safe and needed to sort things out. He said they'd come home when they were ready. So stop coming up with silly excuses..."

"I want them home for Christmas!"

"They might be home by then!"

"It's tomorrow!"

Kyuubi sighed. "Look. I want them home too but calling them like a madman and moping when you find their phones switched off is a bit much!"

Itachi let a huff of air out. He really did not understand what the heck was going on with those two. It seemed he was doomed to be a worrywart where they were concerned. He nodded his consent and was allowed to stand up. The way Sasuke had just grabbed Naruto and left, while the Sabaku kid had glared bloody murder at everyone before being ushered away by a remorseful Sakura, frustrated Itachi. He'd found the next day that neither of them were home and it had taken two days for Sasuke to actually let him know that everything was okay.

Kyuubi sat him down in one of the armchairs and put a hot mug of chocolate in his hands. "Itachi, stop worrying..." her command would have worked better if she didn't look so goddamned worried herself. She turned on the TV and they ended up watching some Christmas movie for the next two hours. They'd gotten food ready just in case the erstwhile siblings decided to show up but Itachi was about to give up hope.

It was late in the evening and the couple were curled up on the couch napping when the doorbell sounded. Itachi was up right away and alert. He made it to the door in record time and threw it open just to be bowled over in a hug.

"Itachi-niiiiii!"

Itachi felt a bunch of emotions rise up in him like a volcanic cloud. He hugged the blond leech back just as tightly looking up at his sort-of-clone standing at the threshold. Sasuke smirked.

"Yo!"

Itachi stood up and detached himself from Naruto. He helped them with their bags...the staff coming to help put them away in the right rooms. The three of them traipsed to the living room, shucking off their coats and collapsing into whichever suitable surface they found. Kyuubi woke up and squealed her joy giving each boy a bone-crushing hug and a mighty thwap upside the head.

"Where the heck were you and why the heck did you leave like that?"

Both of the younger men rubbed their heads and scowled at her. Eventually Sasuke replied.

"We were on vacation...it was a surprise for Naruto..."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at that. "Surprise...? Please Sasuke...I know it wasn't pre-meditated...you just dragged him out of there and caused one big scene...tell me the truth..."

He watched the two boys exchange looks, foreboding looming up in his head, until they sighed. His youngest brother looked up, a determined expression on his face, taking Sasuke's hand in a tight grip. He paused and licked his lips...

Sasuke suddenly sighed. "We're together..." he said, his eyes a palette of emotion."Naruto and I are lovers..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the delay, but life is going to be this way. I have realised that life sometimes knees you in the nuts and cuts off life support for your stories...but I will forge on. **

**Happy Holidays! I love you all. Hope you liked this chapter! **

**Taka**


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